The Russian government is again considering scrapping import tariffs on aircraft in a bid to encourage fleet renewal, amid concerns over the condition of Russia’s increasingly ageing civil fleet.
Russia’s economic development and trade ministry is preparing a proposal to lift the import duty, trade minister German Gref told a government meeting on the safety issue last week, but could not say when the commission for foreign trade protection would discuss it. “I believe that all duties, with the exception of aircraft that have counterparts produced in Russia, should be lifted. The safety of our citizens is at stake,” Gref says.
“As far as measures to ensure flight safety in Russia are concerned, the key points are an ageing fleet and our poor opportunities for renewing it, given the potential of the domestic aircraft manufacturing sector and imports,” says deputy prime minister and defence minister Sergei Ivanov.
Russia’s prosecutor general Yuri Chaika blamed a proliferation of life-expired spare parts for endangering safety, noting that a recent investigation had revealed numerous violations of safety regulations.
Ivanov has called for a uniform level of insurance liability for domestic and international passenger carriage. “The present insurance level, or the value of a Russian citizen’s life, is ridiculously low. We must consider bringing accidental death or trauma insurance for passengers in line with international standards. That’s at least $75,000,” Ivanov says.
He adds that smaller companies unable to cope with larger insurance payments would gradually go bankrupt.
Source: Flight International
