Published: 10/29/1997

On 16 October, the President of the ICAO Council, Assad Kotait, held a press-briefing in Moscow on results of his negotiations with the director of Russia's Federal Aviation Service (FAS), Gennady Zaitsev. Kotait's visit to Russia was made to exchange viewpoints on a proposed system of measures on improving flight safety on a global scale. The proposals will be discussed by world aviation leaders at a special conference in Montreal in November. According to Zaitsev, FAS supports ICAO plans in this field. Russia is even ready to share with ICAO its database on accidents with Soviet and Russian aircraft in the last 20 years. While in Moscow, Kotait also discussed with Russian officials the matter of a wider usage of spacecraft for navigation purposes. According to Kotait, implementation of an advanced satellite-based navigation system will result in great benefits for airspace users flying over Siberia and other regions which have a poor ground network of navigation facilities. Last year ICAO signed docuents with the US and Russian governments on using GLONASS and GPS satellite-based systems for civil aviation. In the case of joint usage of these systems, the accuracy of on-board navigation systems increases dramatically. Kotait said that ICAO is now trying to work out a policy in this field. ICAO will set international standards for civil satellite-based systems. Kotait said that a proposed global satellite-based navigation system is tentatively planned for implementation in 2010. Once in place, this system will facilitate opening of trans-polar routes linking North America with Southeast Asia via Russian territory. During talks in Moscow, ICAO and FAS agreed to establish a group of specialists, within the status of ICAO committee, tasked to determine which routes are really needed and what should be done to open them. Kotait said ICAO supports the idea of trans-polar routes on condition that adequate services for these users are provided. Touching on the theme of "open skies", Zaitsev said Russia cannot accept it. At the same time, FAS sees a need for revising the current structure of routes over its national territory for foreign operators. During the press-briefing Zaitsev announced a recent FAS decision to increase charges on foreign airplanes flying over Russian territory by 29.5%, from the previous level of $54 per 100km. This is the first increase in the last forty years, said Zaitsev, adding that ICAO supported this decision.(IN1097.5) (VK)

Article ID: 58