More airlines have operating certificates withdrawn for breaching regulations or failing to meet minimum standards of viability (544 words)

Published: 9/12/2001

The GSGA has reported that it is continuing to cancel the operating certificates of Russian airlines, citing the primary reasons for its actions as being breaches in air safety, having insufficient aircraft to operate efficiently and no longer undertaking commercial services. According to Josef Kozii of the GSGA, other reasons for cancellation or suspension of licences included failures on the part of the airlines to fulfil obligations. He referred to the case of RusAvia, suspended earlier this year for failing to return passengers from foreign vacation resorts over the New Year period, which led to the intervention by a number of Russian airlines in order to bring passengers home. Rus Airlines is also included in the list of other airlines, which have lost their certificates. In the light of the investigation into the Il-76 crash on 14th July 2001 at Chakalovsky air base with the loss of 10 people, the suspension indicates that the airline was guilty of a number of breaches of regulations, ranging from overloading to inadequate pre-flight aircraft checks. Airlines losing certificates, either as a result of withdrawing from commercial carriage owing to bankruptcy, or by being below the acceptable minimum size of more than two aircraft or simply by stopping service, included the two aircraft airline, Phoenix, operating out of Moscow, Aeroconcept with two aircraft, Aerotransservice with a single aircraft and Milavia, belonging to helicopter producer MZV, which lost its certificate owing to having just a single helicopter. Aviamost Airlines, part of the Most Group, sold all its aircraft and, therefore, lost its certificate. The GSGA cancelled the certificate of Chelyabinsk Airlines, which had transferred all its aircraft to Encor, an associated company within the Chelyabinsk Airlines Holdings. Encor's takeover of Buryatsky Airlines also led to the loss of certificate, as did Sibir's absorption of Sayani Airlines. In the main, the airlines that have lost certificates look likely to exit the Russian air transport scene. Some, such as Rus Airlines, are contesting suspensions, with Rus Airlines currently attempting to have its suspension lifted in the Moscow Arbitrage Court. Tyumen-based Irtyshaviatrans that had its certificate withdrawn after the crash of one of its Mi-2s in Khanty Mansysk, is also lobbying to have its certification restored. The company contends that it provides critical helicopter support to local businesses and, despite the loss of the Mi-2 crew, it can maintain high safety standards. According to Alexander Chuikov, Commercial Director of Irtyshaviatrans, the company hopes to have its certificate returned. Kozii, however, takes a dim view of the court action in both cases. He points out that, in the last three years, a number of airlines have attempted to get their licences restored without success. Kozii reiterated that the GSGA plans to continue its strategy of cancelling licences of those airlines that either breach regulations or fail to meet the GSGA criteria of a viable airline. This strategy is reflected in the steady decline of licensed airlines over the last three years, currently standing at 264 airlines and down from around 307 in October 1999.

Article ID: 2752