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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0923.PDF
This ex-Aeroflot Tu-154 is now operated fry Krasnoyarsk A\ia former years. By the end of February, each of the 34 operational divisions of the former giant had registered as a separate operator; most have subsidiaries, or "daughter com panies" which will begin to operate on the parent's licence before seeking separate certification. Of the 68 CIS airlines and one training school issued with operating licences only a handful have started work (see table, P 20). MAK will review those not yet oper ating "in the near future" to decide whether their certificates should remain valid. Initially, control of each division of Aer- oflot has been transferred to the Govern ment of the state of its base. Thus, 18 divisions have gone to the Government of Russia and 16 divisions to the other 14 Commonwealth states. A noteworthy exception here is Lithua nia, which has neither signed nor ratified the treaty establishing MAK (11 states have signed, three have ratified) but has sought operating approval for Lithuanian Airlines. It is likely, according to Anodina, that privatisation of some or all of these Aeroflot divisions will proceed. It will be up to the individual governments to decide whether and how. She predicts that airline employ ees would be offered shares on more favourable terms than those for outsiders, but is waiting to see the proposals. NEW GENERATION Moscow Sheremetyevo-based Transaero is regarded as the first of the new-generation carriers. Originally formed in October 1990, it was set up by an extensive partnership including the Russian Ministry of Trans port, the Moscow city council, aircraft manufacturers Ilyushin and Yakovlev, Aero- flot's international services division and other business interests. It has leased a fleet of Tupolev Tu-154s and Ilyushin Il-86s and Il-76s from divi sions of Aeroflot, including those of Ukraine, Byelorussia and Moldova, and has now purchased some from Aeroflot's Cen tral Division of International Air Services (CUMVS). It has been licensed for world wide charter operations and has begun scheduled services from five Russian cities. The most difficult problems facing new operators, apart from finance, are to obtain aircraft, establish a base and get route licences. All international route licences are still (so far) issued in the name of Aeroflot's CUMVS (international division), which will continue officially to hold them. So those divisions which wish to fly international routes are likely to maintain Aeroflot titles and livery until they have received licences in their own names. A 1990 treaty with the USA allows up to seven (former USSR) carriers to fly to the USA with en-route fifth-freedom rights; but the individual carriers will have to obtain approval. Adjusting the wording of bilateral agreements is going to be necessary. The first international joint enterprise is Air Russia, the Moscow-based liaison of Aeroflot's Domodedovo international divi sion and British Airways, which holds a 31% share worth about £20 million. The Domodedovo division has traditionally served the east and Far East, using Tu-154s and Il-62s. Air Russia is due to start its international- only operations by the end of 1993 (accord ing to Aeroflot), but it is more likely to start in 1994 (according to BA), using seven Boeing 767-300ERs. Air Russia expects its first operations to be to the Far East, followed quickly by services to the USA, London, Frankfurt and Paris. Financing for the 767s is coming from Mitsui in Japan, and money for building a completely new Air Russia terminal at Moscow Domod edovo Airport is believed to be largely Japanese also. The terminal construction has just begun. EQUIPMENT PROBLEM For indigenous carriers, equipment is a big problem. Slow production of Soviet civil aircraft and a dearth of new types has meant that the various Ilyushins and Tupolevs withdrawn from service in other countries, including Germany, Poland, the Yemen and Mozambique, are being snapped up. With few new aircraft models likely to be availa ble in the next five years, Anodina says she is giving priority to obtaining international certification for the new medium-range twinjet Tu-204 and long-range four-jet II- 96, including their "M" models, which have western cockpits. She also regards it as likely that western companies will seek "reasonable" business terms to gain a foothold in the CIS, and look for profits in the mid term. Another area of concern, Anodina main tains, is that of the ecological problems of aviation. While the ecology is the responsi bility of the local state, it is likely that the republics will seek advice from MAK. Here, the intense and extensive aerial spraying of crops in the south has resulted in some serious environmental and health problems, and has led to a heavy curtailment of these agricultural programmes. Anodina sees business and club flying as a logical development, although sbe says that airline traffic should have priority at the busier airports. Western manufacturers see the CIS as a promising market for business aircraft. So the CIS seems impres sively quickly to have built itself the frame work within which its devolved civil air transport system can work, and is now at the stage of experimenting with the market as large numbers of small airlines set themselves up SI Official record of USSR civil aviation accidents 1980-9 Year 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 No of accidents 27 29 29 21 20 23 29 13 16 23 Fatal accidents (pass flights) 3 5 ' 3 3 . S, 4 S 4 # 5 W 2 3 1 No of fatal accidents per 100,000 flying hours USSR Not known 0.11 0.09 0.07 0.10 0.09 0.12 0.05 0.08 0.03 ICAO - 0.14 0.18 0.13 0.10 0.13 0.09 0.12 0.12 0.14 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8 - 14 April 1992 23
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