Safety

By Tom Zaitsev in Moscow

Russian unions are leading a campaign to ground Airbus A310 aircraft operated by S7 Airlines after the fatal loss of one example of the type in a runway overrun at the Siberian city of Irkutsk.

Speaking at a press conference in Khabarovsk, the leader of the national federation of independent unions, Mikhail Shmakov, says the body will put pressure on aviation safety authorities to ban the carrier from using all seven A310-300s remaining in its fleet.

It follows the accident on 9 July when flight S7 778 from Moscow Domodedovo to Irkutsk overran while landing, killing 124 of its 203 occupants.

But a spokesman for the airline dismisses suggestions that the carrier should stop operating the type, adding: “Judging us on that side is in the competence of aviation authorities, which alone could order us to ground A310s following the investigation. Unless we receive such an order, we'll continue operating the type as usual.”

Shmakov, however, insists that A310s should be banned from flying in Russia until the probe into Irkutsk accident is complete and all of the examples in service with S7 are confirmed as being safe.

In August last year Russian authorities grounded the country’s Ilyushin Il-96 fleet after concerns arose over possible faults in the type’s braking system.