Transfer from Shannon (500 words)

Published: 3/21/2001

According to a report in Kaliningrad daily newspaper Kaliningradskaya Pravda, reporting comments by Serguey Smolyanov an advisor to the region's Transport Committee, an initial agreement has been signed by Volga Dnepr (VD) and the region's government to examine the possibility of moving VD's maintenance facilities from Shannon in Ireland to Kaliningrad's Khrabrovo Airport. Potentially saving the airport from bankruptcy. The establishment of VD's facility at Shannon occurred in the latter part of 1999 along with a similar base in Sharjah in the UAE. With VD suggesting that an investment of about $1m investment in the facility justified by the cost savings being achieved on the quick turn around of the $10,000 an hour An-124-100s. VD however, declined to make any comment on the possibility or evaluation of the move when called. According to Kaliningardavia General Director Vladislav Filippenko, a delegation from VD visited Kaliningrad two weeks ago to check whether Krabrovo could be used as a VD maintenance base. Welcoming VD's interest, Filippenko said that he now awaits the carrier's decision about using the airport and the investments that would be required to make it possible. The investments may involve the strengthening of the airport's runways for fully loaded An-124-100s, although the airport could handle empty aircraft, which is presumably the condition of aircraft using a potential maintenance base. Other areas of improvement would be in the widening of taxiways according to Filippenko. On the future of his airline, Filippenko would not comment ahead of a shareholders' meeting, other than to say a recovery programme was being developed, which includes the leasing of aircraft for the resumption of some routes. Kaliningradavia flies to Moscow, St Petersburg, Rostov, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Samara and Almaty and plans to resume flying to Krasnodar, Simferopol, Omsk and Volgograd. On non-CIS international routes, the airline is making charter flights to Italy, Spain, Turkey and a regular flight to Hannover. The Eurocontrol requirements for TCAS equipment to be on flights within the European air space after April 1st does however, cause the airline some problems. Despite the relative youth of the airline's Tu-154Ms being built in 1993, they are not equipped with TCAS systems, although some other requirements like the 8.33htz span and noise level, are met. The airline expects that Germany will allow some easing of the restriction, although this is not a view that has been evident in the comments from Eurocontrol, who have been emphatic in their stance regarding extensions, stating that waivers would be very unlikely and almost impossible for airlines not making a case before the 1st of April. Currently according to the airline, they do not have the resources to bring their Tu-154 up to standard. Last year, Kaliningradavia made losses and according to Filippenko, and was particularly hit by higher fuel costs which now for 60% of total expenses, significantly above the industry's average of 40% in 2000.

Article ID: 2432