newstodate.aero
Jan 14, 2014 (newstodate): Another chapter in the seemingly endless story on Russia/EU debates on charges on Siberian overflights by EU carriers will be opened on January 16, 2014.
This will be the opening of another meeting between Russia and EU aviation authorities in Moscow with an unpublished agenda that is however sure to focus on the implementation of the change in the system from January 1, 2014.
Since 1970, EU and Western airlines have been obliged to pay a royalty for use of Russia's Siberian and transpolar air lanes, and the royalty should be a compensation for Aeroflot's corresponding loss of revenues.
The charges, estimated to be around USD500 mio annually, are collected by Aeroflot that retains some USD300 mio, returning the remainder to Russia's Federal Air Navigation Authority and the Federal Air Traffic Agency.
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.
Russia has still not, however, ratified the agreement with EU, repeatedly coming up instead with new wishes and demands for the implementation of the agreement that was actually also a precondition for Russia's admission into the WTO.
As a latest move, Russia has requested that Russian carriers be granted 7th freedom rights in the Czech market, allowing them to carry passengers and cargo between the Czech Republic and any point in the EU.
This will be the opening of another meeting between Russia and EU aviation authorities in Moscow with an unpublished agenda that is however sure to focus on the implementation of the change in the system from January 1, 2014.
Since 1970, EU and Western airlines have been obliged to pay a royalty for use of Russia's Siberian and transpolar air lanes, and the royalty should be a compensation for Aeroflot's corresponding loss of revenues.
The charges, estimated to be around USD500 mio annually, are collected by Aeroflot that retains some USD300 mio, returning the remainder to Russia's Federal Air Navigation Authority and the Federal Air Traffic Agency.
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.
Russia has still not, however, ratified the agreement with EU, repeatedly coming up instead with new wishes and demands for the implementation of the agreement that was actually also a precondition for Russia's admission into the WTO.
As a latest move, Russia has requested that Russian carriers be granted 7th freedom rights in the Czech market, allowing them to carry passengers and cargo between the Czech Republic and any point in the EU.