Russia's aviation regulatory authority, the Federal Service of Air Transport (FSAT), has been disbanded pending re-incorporation into the Ministry of Transport.
Formerly known as the Federal Aviation Service, the FSAT was set up in 1995 after an audit of Russian civil aviation was conducted by the US Federal Aviation Administration at the request of the Russian Government after several serious accidents.
The integration is expected to be completed within three months. The FSAT's budget will be amalgamated with the ministry's budget, with senior FSAT staff expecting this to result in reduced funding.
Sources describe the situation as "a reversion to the catastrophe-prone situation of the early 1990's". Until the new structure has been put in place, there is no clear line of responsibility in the regulation of Russia's airlines, air traffic services, overhaul facilities and airports.
Source: Flight International
