Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry says no official request from Russia for cabotage air transport

ASTANA/MOSCOW. Oct 22 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry has not received an official request from Russia regarding the organization of cabotage air transport within its territory, the ministry's press service told Interfax.

"To date, we have not received any official request from the Russian side concerning cabotage transport. It is important to note that the policy of the sectoral government agency is focused on prioritizing the increasing needs of the domestic air transport market," it said,

Kazakhstan's largest airlines, Air Astana and SCAT, also said they had no plans to launch cabotage flights in Russia.

Cabotage transport refers to the ability of an airline to operate flights between points within a country where it is not a resident. In many countries, including Russia, this right is restricted to local carriers.

Earlier in October, Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit said there had been talks with "friendly" countries, including Kazakhstan, about the possibility of organizing cabotage air transport in Russia. "For example, we are negotiating with Kazakhstan: they have seen more than a 35% increase in aviation mobility this year, so our colleagues are considering this," he told reporters, explaining that this option was being explored in light of the global aircraft shortage. The shortage is partly due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines at Airbus and concerns over the quality of new aircraft from Boeing, Starovoit said. There have also been reports of further delays in the delivery of Russian-made aircraft.