Yet another problem for Russian cargo aircraft in China

Published: 4/10/2000

According to reports in ITAR-TASS, 14 fully loaded Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes have been stuck at airports in China since 12st March, when Russia"s State Customs Committee announced new rates of levies for air freight clearing customs. A spokesman for the Association of Air Freight Operators (ASAGRO) in Beijing described the present situation as a ‘dead-end". In addition to these grounded aircraft, another 56 flights to China have been called off, leaving around 15,000 tonnes of goods for export to Russia under contracts already concluded building up at Chinese businesses and warehouses. These goods are mostly clothes, shoes and consumer goods. This follows earlier reports in which Russia"s air cargo operators blamed customs officials and attempts to form a monopoly in air traffic to China for causing these problems. www.concise.org 7th April 2000: Problems with the cargo market

Article ID: 1600