The river route network will be expanded in Nizhny Novgorod.

      April 17, 2026 14:28 Society NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Maria Orlova High-speed boats "Valdai" will start operating from Nizhny Novgorod to the village of Chulkovo in the Vachsky district. The plans to extend the route were announced at a meeting of the permanent commission of the city council on road management and transport by the general director of "Vodoley" Nikita Italiancev, reports NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" correspondent. This year, in addition to the existing intra-regional flights, an additional route will be opened. The existing route will be extended: instead of Pavlovo, the boats will go to Chulkovo. "The village is located on the high right bank of the Oka. This is an interesting area where tourism is developing. We expect that the route will be in demand," noted Italiancev. He added that the current fleet of "Vodoley" includes five "Valdai 45R" boats and two "Meteor 120R" SPKs. In May, the delivery of the third "Meteor 120R" is expected, which will operate on new routes during this navigation season. In 2026, the company plans to operate flights on 18 routes, of which 11 will be regular and seven will be excursion and recreational. Navigation on interregional routes is planned to open on May 2. From this day, flights to Kazan and Yaroslavl will start, and tickets are already on sale. According to Nikita Italiancev, the company intends to significantly increase the frequency of flights to Yaroslavl. In 2024-2025, five circular flights were made due to the repair of the Gorodetsky lock and the queuing of boats. In the upcoming season, the company plans about 28 flights with stops in Chkalovsk, Yuryevets, Kineshma, and Kostroma. Work continues on extending the route from Yaroslavl to Tver. Last year, two test flights were conducted with stops in Rybinsk, Uglich, Kalazin, and Dubna. This season, the carrier expects to make about ten circular flights. The company is also developing the route to Perm. "We continue to work with the Perm region and Udmurtia on this route. In addition to the stop in Nizhnekamsk, added last year, we plan to include Chistopol, Yelabuga, and Naberezhnye Chelny. Five circular flights to Perm are planned, and tickets for them are already available," he said. The carrier also plans to extend the route to Astrakhan. It was previously reported that a beer bar on the water will appear in Nizhny Novgorod this summer. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+