MOSCOW, April 30 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) has instructed to ban the use of Syria’s airspace in order to ensure security of Russian passengers and crewmembers.
Rosaviatsia’s territorial structures have been instructed to keep it under tight control until further notice. The Federal Air Transport Agency reports that commercial interests cannot prevail over security of citizens who use Russian airlines.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommends that one shall not use airspace of the states, which pose a threat to civil aircraft’s flights and where military actions are conducted.
“To this end, on February 28, 2013 Rosaviatsia gave recommendations to airlines not to use Syrian airspace for flights. Several airlines, which voice concern over security of passengers, stopped using its airspace. Several airlines ignored the recommendations and continued flights to Syria,” Rosaviatsia’s report says.
“Due to the statements saying passengers’ rights are being violated we should recall that the Tu-154 plane was shot down in 2001 over the Black Sea water area. That is why one cannot speak about possible consequences for safe flights for civil aircraft as real military actions are conducted,” the report says.
On Monday, April 29, a jet of NordWind Airlines was subject to an attack in Syria’s airspace, Rosavitsia reported.
It said, “Crewmembers of the A-320 of NordWind Airlines made the charter flight on the Sharm el-Sheikh-Kazan route and noted military actions. Crewmembers believe that a threat was posed to the aircraft.” “The aircraft made a landing at the airport as scheduled,” the report says.