newstodate.aero
NOV 25, 2004 (newstodate): The burning issue of Russian overflight charges will once again be on the agenda of today's EU/Russia meeting in Brussels - if the crisis in Ukraine does not entirely overshadow anything else.
In 2003, European airlines reportedly paid a total of USD 250 million in overflight charges, and the issue has been under discussion for many years without finding a solution.
The Russian party claims that the issue does not fall within the scope of the Chicago Convention, as it constitutes a separate commercial agreement.
Russia earlier concluded air agreements with European states only on the condition that their airlines had signed commercial agreements with Aeroflot. These agreements should compensate Aeroflot for loss of revenues as the airline could not compete directly with the Western airlines.
For a prolonged period, the western airlines accepted to pay these charges under the commercial agreements as the revenue was supposed to be spent on improving the Russian aviation infrastructure.
This did happen to a degree, but the western airlines now find the practice unacceptable, and EU has invested much effort in seeking an end to these "commercial agreements".
In 2003, European airlines reportedly paid a total of USD 250 million in overflight charges, and the issue has been under discussion for many years without finding a solution.
The Russian party claims that the issue does not fall within the scope of the Chicago Convention, as it constitutes a separate commercial agreement.
Russia earlier concluded air agreements with European states only on the condition that their airlines had signed commercial agreements with Aeroflot. These agreements should compensate Aeroflot for loss of revenues as the airline could not compete directly with the Western airlines.
For a prolonged period, the western airlines accepted to pay these charges under the commercial agreements as the revenue was supposed to be spent on improving the Russian aviation infrastructure.
This did happen to a degree, but the western airlines now find the practice unacceptable, and EU has invested much effort in seeking an end to these "commercial agreements".