"As of today, about 130 additional flights for fans have been scheduled. They are the fans of all the teams that will play in NN [Nizhny Novgorod]… Our understanding is that this is not the final count," Denis Bukin said.
Bukin said that the airport was ready for the flow of tourists and expressed hope that more flights would be scheduled.
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According to the airport CEO, direct flights will connect the city with Argentina, Croatia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. The airport will be linked to the other 10 World Cup host cities during the tournament, Bukin said.
Outside and inside #Russia 's Nizhny Novgorod Stadium ahead of the second test match held in preparation for the #FifaWorldCup2018 + Pavel Zanozin @zanozin, sports commentator and NN #FIFAWorldCup ambassador, talks to journalists @FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/pRBQe1hDvj
— Sputnik Insight (@Sputnik_Insight) April 28, 2018
The Nizhny Novgorod Arena is set to host four group-stage matches, a Round of 16 game and a quarter-final.
Tickets for FIFA 2018 World Cup
Meanwhile, the acting deputy governor of the region said Saturday that tickets for FIFA 2018 World Cup group stage matches in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod had been sold out.
"We know that the tickets for all the group stage matches that will take place here in NN [Nizhny Novgorod] have been sold out. This is a great honor for us. We are expecting the arrival of many foreign tourists, fans," Dmitry Svatkovsky said.
The official told reporters that the authorities were focused on the preparations for the first match that would take place in Nizhny Novgorod — Sweden will take on South Korea on June 18.
Other group stage games in Nizhny Novgorod will be Argentina-Croatia on June 21, England-Panama on June 24 and Switzerland-Costa Rica on June 27.
"We are in close contact with the [football] federations of the countries whose teams will play in Nizhny Novgorod. We are all set for the tournament, there are only the last few touches left," Svatkovsky said.
The four-group stage games will be Sweden-South Korea on June 18, Argentina-Croatia on June 21, England-Panama on June 24 and Switzerland-Costa Rica on June 27.
Russia will host its first ever FIFA World Cup from June 14 to July 15. Nizhny Novgorod, located about 260 miles east of the Russian capital, is one of the 11 cities set to host the matches. The others are Kaliningrad, Kazan, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saransk, Sochi, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, and Yekaterinburg.
