Russian and Chinese authorities cooperate to prevent severe over loading by Russian aircraft out of Tyanzin

Published: 11/3/1999

Russian and Chinese authorities are jointly carrying out a " flight safety improvementoperation" in Tyanzin, aimed at eliminating the practice of overloading Russian cargoaircraft transporting Chinese consumer goods to Russia. According to VladimirAndreyev, Director of the FSVT, both Russian and Chinese authorities have agreed to implement strict control measures over loading and unloading operations on Il-76s at Tyanzin airport. These include not only the proper measurement ofcargoes as they are loaded and unloaded, but the legal requirement for Il-76s to have a one metre corridor of free space on each side of the cargo in the hold. Andreyev said that, in the past, Il-76s routinely flew crammed to capacity with Chinese clothing. In many instances, this resulted in some ten tons of overloading. To partly compensate for the overweight, Il-76 crews had to take less fuel, usually just enough to get to stop-over point in Siberia, in breach of flight regulating instructions. He added that, in Tyanzin, the practice of using two flight papers, one with real loading figures, the other with false ones, was in widespread use. Such a practice, he said,was supported by "the highly-criminalised customs offices in the airports". The joint operation, initiated in Tyanzin by the FSVT and its Chinese counterpart, began with the prohibition of all flights from Tyanzin to Russia, and then granting special permission to certain airlines to fly these routes. Andreyev said that the local clothing suppliers suffered big losses during the operation, which made them "attempt to Russian flight crews, airline representatives and state officers" to breach the regulations. He insisted that: "We are not going to withdraw this time", adding that Russian airlines flying to Tyanzin have been warned that they will lose their operator licences if found to be in breach of FSVT orders.

Article ID: 1041