Russian Association of air transport operators (aato) asked the government to cancel the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor about the filling not more than half of the interior of the aircraft. Otherwise, ticket prices will rise, and the number of flights will fall. While recommendations are not legally binding, but during the week can take the form of decisions of the chief sanitary doctor in this case will be mandatory for all carriers. According to “Kommersant”, the transport unit of the government is on the side of the airlines, but the last word in the period of the epidemic can remain with CPS.Aato asked the Minister of transport Eugene Dietrich to initiate the meeting of coordination Council under the government to combat the spread of coronavirus infection consideration of the cancellation of the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor in the limit of seats in the cabin of the aircraft. The address of the Association (there is a “b”) sent on may 19. The CPS 18 may issued guidelines which, inter alia, stated that the number carried in the aircraft, passengers must not exceed 50% of the total number of seats.”Aato believe that they have already taken on air transport measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 sufficient to minimize the risk of transmission in flight, and the measure for the limitation of seats in the cabin is excessive,” reads the letter. There it is specified that at airports, the monitoring of the temperature of the passengers, the aircraft air conditioning system and ventilation, which allows to renew the air in the cabin every three minutes, also in April because of falling demand, passenger load factor amounted to 37%, allowing you to seat the passengers at a safe distance. “Conservation restriction will lead to a sharp rise in prices for tickets and additional flight reductions, primarily at the local and regional airlines”,— the statement says.The CPS told “Kommersant” that the recommendations developed for maintaining the health of passengers and crew. “To prevent transmission of infection, only measure the temperature is not enough”— according to the Department, but adds that “guidance may be adjusted when changing epidemiological situation.”The Ministry of transport and the Federal air transport Agency does not comment on the situation. Transport Minister Eugene Dietrich may 20, said that the Ministry reached a consensus with the CPS on issues of requirements to ensure sanitary safety for all modes of transport and hopes to approve them before the end of may. Previously, Mr. Dietrich spoke out against the aircraft load half, because then the tickets will cost about 70 thousand RUB., and, referring to the airline, said that the required level of profitability provides 72-75-Pro��Etna loading aircraft.The interlocutor of “Kommersant” in the government said that the transport block is opposed to the loading of aircraft by half. But the final word during an outbreak may remain with the CPS. “The draft guidelines of the CPS will be presented to the government on may 21. A lot will depend on what legal form will accept the recommendations. So, if they take the form of a decision of the chief sanitary doctor, it will be binding on all market participants”,— he said.A Kommersant source in the market said that the airline can go on filling planes for 50% only if the government is subsidizing the lost revenue from empty seats. The President of “UTair — Passenger airlines” Pavel Permyakov believes that social distance can be mounted on the flight to Moscow as the city with the largest number of cases. “But at the inter-regional flights this is not necessary, especially since there are used planes with a small number of seats,” he says. Utair offers its passengers seated respect for social distance on Board the S7 say they provide passengers seated across the row and through the place apart if allows download.Partner of law firm NAFCO Paul Eckert said that the recommendations of the chief sanitary doctor indeed mandatory, if they are contained in its regulations, and the CPS when you have already released acts is not necessary to enter them again. The requirements of social distance is already fixed by resolution of the chief health officer from 1 April, says Mr. Eckert.Herman Kostryns’ka
