Russian customs authorities are looking to improve regulations concerning the temporary export of aircraft, to help alleviate problems suffered during offshore operations of Russian freighters.
The effort to revise the regulations follows meetings between the authorities and the Russian chapter of the International Air Cargo Association. The Russian members complained of the safety problems experienced when a Russian freighter aircraft is in an "AOG" (aircraft on ground) situation overseas. The operators commonly experience delays while the aircraft awaits urgent shipment of replacement parts due to complicated customs export arrangements for aircraft and their components.
Under Russian legislation, these components are categorised as consumer goods and involve complex procedures. These cause delays for grounded aircraft and have resulted in some operators taking shortcuts, including returning aircraft to Russia without meeting minimum equipment list requirements.
Alexei Isaikin of Volga Dnepr sees this as a compromise of safety and requested delegates at the chapter's annual general meeting in Moscow last month to submit proposals on how the problem should be addressed to the association for reference to the customs.
Source: Flight International
