Russia to prepare countermeasures to EU decision to blacklist Russian airlines - Rosaviatsia

MOSCOW. April 11 (Interfax) - The decision by the European Commission to place 20 Russian airline companies on the European Union Air Safety List will entail countermeasures, the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) stated on Monday.

"The decision to place a number of Rosaviatsia-certified Russian airline companies on the so-called blacklist of the European Union attests to its policy of discrimination and violation of international aviation law, which inevitably will lead to response measures from the Russian aviation authorities in regard to EU members' aviation enterprises," the statement said.

The safety of flights with Russian air carriers will remain unaffected, Rosaviatsia said.

"Said restrictive measures in regard to Russian airline companies were adopted in absentia and have no ground whatsoever in terms of the technical condition of the carriers' air fleets, keeping these aircraft airworthy and executing lease transactions. The blacklisted companies have all the necessary onboard documentation approved by the Russian civil aviation authority. All aircraft meet airworthiness requirements, and undergo regular technical maintenance within the timetable set by the technical maintenance program," the statement said.

Earlier on Monday the European Commission blacklisted Aeroflot , Rossiya, Pobeda, UTair , S7, Avrora, Izhavia, Yakutia, UVT Aero, Smartavia, IrAero, Ural Airlines , Alrosa, Nordstar, Rusline, Yamal, Nordwind, IFly, Rusjet and Aviastar-TU.