“Air War” goes on
- 26.03.2012, 11:34
Russian airline companies have received just a temporary permit for conducting flights to Minsk.
BelTA has been informed about that by Aeroflot – Russian Airlines.
As said by a representative of Aeroflot, the temporary permit is valid until March 29.
Moscow and Minsk interrupted air communication 26 March in the morning due to a failure to agree on the number of flights between the two capitals.
The suspension of the permit for the Belarusian side to conduct flights between Moscow and Minsk had been caused by the desire of the Russian side to increase the number of flights to 5 daily flights for their air carriers, stated the deputy general director of Belavia national air company, Ihar Charhinets at a press-conference in Minsk on Monday.
“The motivation of the Russian side: we want more flights, we shall conduct more flights. Our air authorities answered that it is not possible, they should conduct 4 flights. And how it would be divided between companies is up to the Russian side. Belarusian aviation authorities sent requests to the Russian ones many times, but they continued to insist on 5 flights,” Charhinets told.
“This lasted until Saturday evening. On Saturday Belavia received a permit for flights Moscow-Minsk, 4 times. Belarusian aviation authorities have also issued permits for 4 times. A temporary permit for 5 times has been also issued so that passengers of S7 air company would not be affected,” Charhinets said.
As said by him, representatives of Belarus were ready to start talks last week, however Russia was against.
“But today morning Russian authorities revoked this permit. It is a surprising decision. Such structures should stand at the position of defending passengers’ interests. Talk could be conducted for as long as they want, but that should not have an effect on passengers. The decision of Russias’ Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) has put at risk the plans of many passengers. Negotiations and meetings of many passengers have been thwarted. Many people fly to Western Europe, Caucasus, Middle East in transit through Minsk,” Belavia stressed.
“People have been affected. I believe Rosaviatsiya is to blame for that. There is no motivation in the telegram at all: “We want more flights, we want to conduct more flights,” Charhinets said.
He underlined that Rosaviatsiya has posed the question in the following way: either we have 5 flights, or nothing at all.
So far aviation authorities have agreed on the phone to resume air flights between Minsk and Moscow.
“Our morning flights are on the way to Moscow now. I hope that we have been able to minimize losses of our passengers. People have been returned money for tickets partially. Those who wanted were given free tickets for flights which are to be made later. Some passengers were offered flights of other companies. Our first flights have about 180 passengers, and about the same quantity flies from Moscow to Minsk,” Charhinets said.