newstodate.aero
Jun 03, 2010 (newstodate): Uncertainty seems to shroud the issue of the significant loads of ex-China shipments to Russia normally flown into Tallinn, Estonia, by the Turkish carrier ULS that operates a large cargo terminal at the airport from where the shipments are then trucked across the Russian border.
Since earlier this year the traffic came to a halt as Russian Customs enforced severe measures to counteract the flow of illegal copy goods and shipments under false or insufficient documentation.
One source, centrally placed in Estonia's airport authority, says that there is again some traffic by ULS' A300 freighters, and volumes are picking up again.
A ULS spokeswomen, based at Istanbul, however says that there are still no flights by ULS into Tallinn Airport.
-We are currently operating into various other airports instead, but plans are to return freighter operations into Tallinn Airport again from September, she says.
In the meantime, one ULS Airbus A300 freighter is currently at Tallinn Airport.
According to a local industry source the aircraft is on a test flight, but trucks are seen leaving the terminal, properly documented with TIR carnets.
The Chinese shipments to Russia via Estonia normally account for at least 80 percent of the airport's total cargo volumes, so the current situation leaves a strong mark on its performance so far into 2010.
Since earlier this year the traffic came to a halt as Russian Customs enforced severe measures to counteract the flow of illegal copy goods and shipments under false or insufficient documentation.
One source, centrally placed in Estonia's airport authority, says that there is again some traffic by ULS' A300 freighters, and volumes are picking up again.
A ULS spokeswomen, based at Istanbul, however says that there are still no flights by ULS into Tallinn Airport.
-We are currently operating into various other airports instead, but plans are to return freighter operations into Tallinn Airport again from September, she says.
In the meantime, one ULS Airbus A300 freighter is currently at Tallinn Airport.
According to a local industry source the aircraft is on a test flight, but trucks are seen leaving the terminal, properly documented with TIR carnets.
The Chinese shipments to Russia via Estonia normally account for at least 80 percent of the airport's total cargo volumes, so the current situation leaves a strong mark on its performance so far into 2010.