newstodate.aero

Apr 01, 2020 (newstodate): A fresh attempt is being made to urge the Norwegian government to seek Russian consent to operate freighter flights through the Sibir air corridor.
   Long a top-priority for the country's exporters of seafood to the Asian, notably the Chinese market, as well as a long-nourished hope by Norwegian, access to the coveted short-cut to Asia has consistently been reserved to SAS enjoying grandfather's rights in Scandinavia/Russia aviation talks.
   -We have now sent an appeal to the Norwegian CAA to consider the issue again in light of the current extraordinary situation with the near-total shortfall of lower-deck capacity on passenger flights out of Oslo, says Kjetil Hestad, Norwegian Seafood Organization representing some 120 seafood businesses.
   -We have thus asked the CAA to bring the issue to the Ministry of Transport, urging the political level to engage in renewed talks with its Russian counterpart aiming at obtaining at least a temporary permission to operate freighter flights through the Sibir air corridors that will allow operators to cut flying time and costs significantly, compared to the long detours required today.
   -If this permission were granted, the next step would of course be to attract existing and new cargo airlines to allocate freighter capacity to Norway's seafood exporters, and to this purpose we enjoy a fruitful cooperation with Avinor, says Mr Hestad.
   For years, the low-cost airline Norwegian has been pressing the Norwegian and Scandinavian negotiators in the annual Russia-Scandinavia aviation talks to gain access to the market in China and other Asian countries by obtaining a share in the quota of Sibir overflight rights which remains an obstacle to future China traffic from Norway.
    The three Scandinavian countries negotiate air services agreements and other aviation policy issues with other countries jointly, with Norway in charge of negotiations with Russia.    
   Norwegian voices are, however, increasingly calling for Norway to quit the joint Scandinavian approach to negotiate instead own air traffic rights with Russia in an effort to fight off the alleged vested interests of the Scandinavian carrier SAS that is today the only airline designated on the Scandinavian side.  
   This situation may be further boosted by the fact that in contrast to the two other Scandinavian stakeholders, Norway sold its stake in SAS in 2019.