Subject of special suitability

The dispute between Russia and Ukraine around the aircraft "An" came to the international level.
04.05.2018
Kommersant
Origin source
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine around the maintenance of airworthiness of aircraft is exacerbated. As "Kommersant" has learned, Kiev has attracted the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to a dispute over whether the Russian Federation can extend the operation of the An aircraft, including the Ruslanov, without the participation of the Ukrainian Antonov concern. Ukraine speaks of a threat to flight safety, Moscow accuses Kyiv of delaying and inflating prices. But despite four years of hard conflict, aviation ties between the countries remain, forcing to search for interaction schemes.

As it became known to Kommersant, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine sent a complaint to the ICAO against Rosaviatsia, which approves the operation of Antonov's development aircraft with violation of procedures. According to Kommersant sources, Kyiv's displeasure was caused by the fact that the Russian authorities issued permits for the An-24, An-26, An-74 and An-124-100 Ruslan flights without involving the concern. Aviation authorities of Ukraine refer to the practice of the times of the USSR, when the participation of the design bureau in the procedures for the extension of airworthiness was mandatory. According to Kiev, the Russian aviation authorities are creating a "dangerous precedent that threatens life, health, environment and infrastructure" of the countries where the "An" aircraft operate.

In mid-2017, in the airworthiness of the Russian Federation, there were about 400 ships of the Antonov Design Bureau. The most common, according to GosNIIGA, were An-24 and An-26 (236 pieces). The holder of the certificate of the type "Anov" is the state enterprise "Antonov". The manufacturer is obliged to support the validity of the certificate, provide author's support in production, operation and repair. But the aviation cooperation between Moscow and Kiev was greatly complicated after Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the prolongation of the airworthiness of the aircraft became one of the controversial issues. "Antonov" opposed the transfer of these functions to others, insisting that this is contrary to ICAO standards, rules and regulations of the EU, the US, Ukraine and Russia, threatening to absolve themselves of responsibility for the safety of aircraft on international routes.

Nevertheless, last summer Rosaviatsiya issued a developer certificate and a certificate for the modification of the standard design of the AN-24/26 GosNIIGA (see "Kommersant" on July 10, 2017). German AMTES GmbH (part of the Volga-Dnepr Group, owning 12 Ruslans) received the same powers for Ruslan.

In Rosaviatsia, Kommersant explained that in early April, the head of the department, Alexander Neradko, sent a letter to the president of Antonov, Alexander Krivokonyu, calling the decisions "forced." Rosaviatsiya believes that Antonov presented to the Russian operators "unreasonable requirements" for the provision of end-user certificates, although according to ICAO standards they are not related to fulfilling the duties of the developer. In addition, Ukrainians systematically delayed the admission of aircraft to the development of the next stage of the already assigned resource and service life, as well as the introduction of changes to the standard design. "Antonov" "unjustifiably overstated" the cost of their services, and on the proposal of the Federal Air Transport Agency to divide the work within the aircraft's admission to the next stages of the assigned resources and service life, the Ukrainian concern did not respond.

The companies that received the authority from Rosaviatsia "proved competence, and foreign air authorities were notified of the AMTES GmbH certification as a developer of the modification of the An-124-100 type aircraft," Mr. Neradko said in a letter. In this case, certification will affect only aircraft registered in the Russian Federation. As a compromise, Rosaviatsia suggested that Antonov certify these organizations as developers of modifications An-24/26/72 and An-124-100, and keep the status of the concern as a developer of the standard design unchanged. The response to these proposals was a complaint to the ICAO.

In "Antonov", "Kommersant" was not answered. The interlocutor of Kommersant, close to the government of Ukraine, confirmed the sending of the letter to the ICAO, because "such flights are unsafe." "If the letter does not work," he said, the Ukrainian side "will act by methods that were used by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and other state agencies, demanding to remove from Kyiv responsibility for the safety of flights in the Crimean zone." In the spring of 2014, the ICAO decided that the RF should provide air navigation services over the Crimea and territorial waters, and Ukraine - over neutral waters, but taking into account technical arrangements with the Russian Federation. Most foreign airlines have refused to use this airspace. The source of Kommersant added that the technical documentation for the An aircraft is in the Antonov plant in Kiev, and without it, in his opinion, it is impossible to extend the resource, for example, at the Voronezh aircraft plant, where the Antonov family , including An-148/158.

At the same time, Ukraine recognizes the riskiness of aviation conflicts with Russia: "The Ukrainian Armed Forces still use Su, MiG and Tu-134 planes, and without the technical documentation in the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian side can not extend their resource." In addition, as stated in the letter from Rosaviation, counter claims can be brought against Kiev. In the absence of support from the developer of the MVZ them. MLMilya in Ukraine operates Mi helicopters, including for supporting UN missions. In "Helicopters of Russia" refused to comment, in the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the request to "b" was diverted to Rosaviatsiya. The ICAO and United Aircraft Corporation Kommersant did not respond.

The executive director of the "Airport" Oleg Panteleev believes that the position of the Russian aviation authorities that guarantee the airworthiness of Antonov's technology in Russian airlines "due to authority" will be convincing both for the customers of transportations and for the regulators of third countries. However, the expert adds, while it's impossible to completely abandon the interaction with Ukraine, for example, the question of overhauling the Ukrainian engines of the Ruslanov has not been resolved. Therefore, Mr. Panteleyev believes, the parties, still heavily involved in technological cooperation, will be forced to look for interaction schemes.

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