The Ministry of Transport intends to register old foreign planes in Russia

Foreign lessors do not agree with this.
20.08.2018
Kommersant
Origin source
Ministry of Transport began to force airmen to transfer foreign planes to the register of the Russian Federation. While most of the vessels are registered abroad, the Ministry of Transport requires re-registering age ships in Russia. This was one of the reasons for the delays in the flights of Yakutia: after three out of five SSJ 100 went down, the officials did not allow the Boeing 737, registered in Bermuda, to be replaced. It was necessary to transfer to the register of the Russian Federation the 27-year-old Boeing 767 and Azur Air. Meanwhile, foreign lessors do not want to register aircraft in Russia, referring to the unavailability of the regulatory framework.

The Association of Air Transport Operators (AEVT) asked the head of the Ministry of Transport, Evgeni Dietrich, to solve the problem of "unreasonable refusal", which the department of state policy in civil aviation of the ministry gave to the airline "Yakutia" a request to use Boeing 737, registered in Bermuda. The carrier took the plane to avoid the failure of the summer program due to engine defects from three out of five Russian SSJ 100, which Yakutia reported to the air authorities in May, according to a letter from the president of the AEVT, Vladimir Tasun.

The airline spent 50 million rubles. to prepare Boeing 737 in accordance with international airworthiness requirements. The owner of the vessel, the leasing company Fortress from the US, demanded that the aircraft retain registration in Bermuda, since "the RF standards for maintaining airworthiness do not yet meet global and international standards."

According to the AEVT, 95% of traffic in Russia goes to leased foreign planes, mostly registered in Bermuda (689 ships), Ireland (34) and other countries. Under the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention), states can enter into agreements for which basic airworthiness control is assigned to the country of registration (Russian liability is then limited to the approval of the airline's linear service stations). The certificate of airworthiness is given to the aircraft in the state of registration.

But the Ministry of Transport Air Department considered that the documentation for the plane over 20 years from the Bermuda registry "does not allow to assess its technical condition" and vessels of this age should be put on the register of the Russian Federation. In July, Rosaviatsia already registered in the Russian registry a 27-year-old Boeing 767 charter Azur Air. The AETA calls the decision "not relevant neither to the legislation of the Russian Federation, nor to the requirements of the ICAO." Restrictions on the operation of aircraft in relation to age are contrary to world and domestic practice. According to Kommersant's information, at the end of July Yakutia's leadership appealed to Yevgeniy Dietrich on this issue, but without success. Due to the shortage of the park, Yakutia is leading the eight to ten hour delay (almost 14% of flights in July) and, at the request of Rosaviatsiya, reduced 15% of the charter program.

In Yakutia and Rosaviatsia they did not answer Kommersant, the Ministry of Transport confirmed the receipt of the letter from AEB. In "Sukhoi Civil Aircraft" (produces SSJ 100) redirected "b" to PowerJet (produces engines), specifying that engine maintenance is governed by the agreement between "Yakutia" and this company. They clarified that they are working with the carrier under agreements to minimize downtime. Meanwhile, Yakutia is accumulating debts to the leasing GTLK for leasing the SSJ 100, and the latter is charging about 108 million rubles in court from the carrier. The State Customs Committee explained that it is a question of debts for one aircraft, before a significant part of the debt has already been settled by an amicable agreement.

Plans to transfer the foreign planes operated by the Russian Federation to the Russian state register are being discussed for several years. In the opinion of Kommersant sources in the industry, the translation is "not yet possible" - there are no "unified and harmonized rules for operating and maintaining airworthiness". Foreign lessors are concerned about the protection of property rights and uncertainty about the residual value of the aircraft when it is returned to the lessor. Kommersant's interlocutors agree that the main problem of the RF registry is the speed of work: "What's happening in Bermuda less than a day in Russia lasts for weeks and months." Source "Kommersant" notes that "it is better instead of 200 thousand rubles. to pay the state duty of Bermuda in € 10 thousand ".

The main expert of the Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy HSE Fyodor Borisov said that a number of European airlines are also registering vessels in Bermuda. He notes that in order for foreign lessors not to be afraid to work in the Russian legal field, it is necessary to bring the regulatory framework in line with the foreign one, as in a number of CIS countries, and to withdraw aircraft from the property tax.

Officials

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