Russia Warns Airlines Against Using “Dangerous” Airspace Over Georgia

Text of report by Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 28 August: Georgia’s airspace is currently especially dangerous for civilian aircraft flights, the head of the Federal Air Traffic Control Service [Rosaeronavigatsiya], Aleksandr Neradko, has said today, as quoted by the press service of the Ministry of Transport.

For example, on 28 August 2008 the Belarusian airline company Belavia’s B-737 plane on a regular BRU-1735 flight from Minsk to Tbilisi, which was following the international route P11, on its approach to the boundary between Russia’s and Georgia’s airspaces was unexpectedly denied service in the previously agreed air corridor by Georgian air traffic control bodies. The commander of the aircraft had to change the route in order to complete the flight safely.

Earlier, on 25 August 2008, there was a similar incident with an Yak-42 plane of the Russian airline company Volgaaviaekspress on the VLG-303 flight from Volgograd to Yerevan through sections of international air routes in the Georgian airspace. Despite the fact that the Georgian side had approved the flight route through the border-crossing Gusli corridor, Georgian air traffic control bodies refused to service the said flight without explanation when the plane approached the area of responsibility of the Georgian air traffic service. The Russian aircraft’s crew had to change the route and use air routes bypassing Georgia.

So far, the aviation authorities of Georgia have not provided explanations for refusal to service civilian aircraft following the established international air routes over its territory. The Georgian side has not been responding to special requests from Russian air traffic control bodies, Rosaeronavigatsiya stressed.

In connection with the incidents, the Federal Air Traffic Control Service again strongly recommends that Russian airlines not use Georgia’s airspace for their flights and use alternative routes. Initially this recommendation was given to Russian airlines on 8 August.

Originally published by ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1133 28 Aug 08.

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