On October 9, State Duma deputy Vladislav Atmakhov proposed discussing broader federal and regional support for building high-speed river vessels. He said such measures should be linked to the development of regular passenger routes in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Atmakhov noted that the legendary Meteor vessels are familiar to several generations of Russians. They have become one of the symbols of the domestic river fleet, and their history is linked with the Nizhny Novgorod region. The lawmaker said shipbuilders need stable multi-year orders to plan workloads, expand production and retain skilled workers.
Atmakhov told RIA Novosti that expanded support could help increase production of hydrofoil vessels and give residents more ways to travel between settlements. The report did not specify funding terms or a timetable for the proposal.