MOSCOW, April 09. /ITAR-TASS/. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has instructed the aviation authorities of Russia and Ukraine to negotiate problems of air traffic control in the air space above Crimea and the Black Sea, said Head of the Russian State Corporation for Organization of Air Traffic Igor Moiseyenko on the sidelines of an extended meeting of the Board of the Russian Transport Ministry.
Commenting on the talks held at the ICAO European office, Moiseyenko said that the European aviation colleagues gave priority to opening a constructive dialogue by the Russian and Ukrainian aero-navigation providers to be followed by signing a corresponding document to be submitted to ICAO for approval.
Bilateral talks with Ukraine are due about the fate of the air traffic zone which had earlier been under control of the Simferopol air traffic control center of Ukraine, Moiseyenko said. Earlier, Ukrainian air traffic controllers had also ensured control over air space in the neutral zone of the Black Sea.
But, at present, Ukraine's air traffic technical control facilities are unable to fully control air traffic, Moiseyenko said, adding that there are places in Ukraine now no longer covered by radar or communication control facilities, where neither "see" nor "hear and control " principle works any more. One has to interfere and help flights where they call for air traffic controllers’ help, for instance, in Odessa, where nobody answers pilots' calls. “Now, the Simferopol Center has assumed responsibility for ensuring safety of flights in that region as well,” Moiseyenko said.