Russian officials must follow patriotic rules - Curt Lewis

 

Russian Officials Banned From Flying With Foreign Airlines on Business Trips

 

In the first half of the year, the number of passengers flying to international destinations with Russian airlines dropped by 15.2 percent.

Russian officials and State Duma deputies can no longer fly with international airlines on business trips, under an amendment to a presidential decree published Wednesday.

From now on, official trips can only use Russian carriers or the airlines of other members of the Eurasian Economic Union, which comprises Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

Officials can only dodge the patriotic option if international airlines are the only ones that fly to the required destinations. The rule does not apply to private trips.

Russia's Saratov Airlines to appeal AOC restrictions

 

 

 

Saratov Airlines E190

Saratov Airlines will appeal the restrictions on its air operator's certificate (AOC), prohibiting it from operating international flights due to a safety violation.

On Oct. 13, Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, announced it was restricting carrier's AOC after a safety inspection revealed an airline employee-who was not officially included in the flight assignment and was not a crew member-stayed in the cockpit during a Saratov-Antalya flight on July 19, 2015. The person was later determined to be a close relative of the carrier's general director.

Rosaviatsia said the carrier did not respond to the inspection results.