Russia demands Ukraine stop discrimination of its flight crews
MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has called irresponsible the policy of Ukrainian border guards who prohibit Russian flight crews to leave their aircraft at Ukrainian airports and demanded that this practice must stop.
"According to the reports coming from Russian carrier Aeroflot - Russian Airlines which is designated on behalf of the Russian Federation to make regular flights to Ukrainian populated localities for transporting passengers, cargo, luggage and mail, the State Border Service of Ukraine continues to prohibit flight crews of the Russian carrier to leave aircraft for keeping up with the work and rest regime during international flights, which violates the provisions of international acts that stipulate the compliance with flight safety requirements," says a report posted on the ministry website.
"Russia insists on the unconditional termination of the irresponsible practice of the Ukrainian authorities, which endangers the security of commercial aviation flights," the ministry emphasized.
It cited as an example of illegal actions of Ukrainian border guards the March 24 case of the co-pilot of the Aeroflot SU1802 flight from Moscow to Kyiv.
"Such actions are totally inconsistent with the provisions of international acts and conventions regarding safe flights of international civilian aviation," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.
It also said that the Russian Foreign Ministry sent another note related to the aforementioned policy of Ukrainian border guards to the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow on March 25.