newstodate.aero
MAY 01, 2009 (newstodate): While the passenger volumes between EU and Russia are soaring, relations between the two parties are still troubled.
In 2006, the EU commission negotiated an agreement with Russia to freeze overflight charges from 2010 and fully abolishing them by 2013 through a gradual process.
Since then, the Russian state has however refused to ratify the agreement, and no immediate solution is in sight.
-Russia remains a special challenge for the EU while Russia is indeed a big market for aviation, said Johannes Bauer, the EU Commission's Air Transport Directorate at the Riga airport conference this week.
-The agreement is on the table, but till we have certainty of the phasing out of the Russian overflight charges, the cooperation remains frozen.
Passenger air traffic between EU and Russia increased by 18 percent in 2007, to 9.8 mio passengers.
In 2006, the EU commission negotiated an agreement with Russia to freeze overflight charges from 2010 and fully abolishing them by 2013 through a gradual process.
Since then, the Russian state has however refused to ratify the agreement, and no immediate solution is in sight.
-Russia remains a special challenge for the EU while Russia is indeed a big market for aviation, said Johannes Bauer, the EU Commission's Air Transport Directorate at the Riga airport conference this week.
-The agreement is on the table, but till we have certainty of the phasing out of the Russian overflight charges, the cooperation remains frozen.
Passenger air traffic between EU and Russia increased by 18 percent in 2007, to 9.8 mio passengers.