New licencing regulations for Russian carriers(370 words)

Published: 1/18/2001

The civil aviation department of the Ministry of Transport (GSGA) has decided to toughen its terms for the issuing of operating certificates. According to Stanislav Ovcharenko Head of the licencing department of GSGA, the major considerations for the department in revising the regulations were flight safety, condition of fleet, service levels and air transport experience. The updated version of the licensing requirement, titled, “Federal aviation rules on aircraft operators obligatory certifying, inspection and control”. This states that all airlines are required to prove the ability to remain solvent for 24 months of operation once the certificate has been issued. Additionally, they are required to have sufficient reserves, to fund the operation of the air transport business if revenues are not immediately forthcoming within the first three months. The capital requirements to met in the form of bank guarentees. The definition of what - solvency for the 24-month period - actually means, in the normally hand-to-mouth world of smaller Russian airlines, is not specified in detail. Airlines are also required to have their own operating base (undefined, but assumed to mean a hanger), sufficient aircraft (completely open to interpretation) and their own certified maintenance resource. The somewhat vague terms of the new regulations suggest that the GSGA has given itself considerable flexibility in deciding who gets and keeps an operating license. It follows that this allows it to have a firmer hand in policing, what remains, a somewhat chaotic environment, primarily by reducing the number of carriers in operation. For some observers, the new measures follow on from the efforts by the current department's predecessor, the FSVT, to close down single aircraft operators. The GSGA has reiterated its desire to close down not only the so-called one-day airlines (normally charter), but also those scheduled operators who fail to fulfill the schedules on their licensed routes, in favour of “fair weather flying” during the busy vacation periods. It is speculated that the tightening of the regulations was so-timed in the light of the charter carrier, RusAvia's failure to bring back charter passengers from foreign resorts in Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere. This resulted in repatriation by a group of other Russian airlines including: Aeroflot; GTK Rossiya; Pulkovo Airlines; Domodedovo Airlines; and others. Rusavia was contracted to make 9 flights, but only made flights due to a lack of aircraft. There is also the belief that the GSGA's lack of effective supervision also contributed to the situation in that it did not anticipate the carrier's problems.

Article ID: 2300