Belarus to sue EU for damages and lost profits to aviation industry due to sanctions
<p> MINSK, Nov 3 - PrimePress. Belarus is posed to file lawsuits to international courts over the lost revenue and losses caused to Belarus’ aviation industry by the sanctions imposed by the European Union. Director of the Aviation Department of Belarus’ Transport and Communications Ministry Artyom Sikorsky made a statement to this effect at a press conference on 3 November. </p> <p> </p> <p> On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair flight that took off from Athens was forced to make an emergency landing in the Belarusian capital of Minsk after a reported bomb threat. A Mikoyan MiG-29 jet was scrambled to escort the plane into Minsk. The bomb threat came up empty after the aircraft had landed. The Belarusian authorities specified later that Roman Protasevich, wanted in Belarus as a co-founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, which the Belarusian authorities recognized as extremist, had been among the flight’s passengers. He was detained by Belarusian law enforcement agents. Following the incident, the European Union barred Belarusian air companies from operating flights to EU airports and using the European Union’s airspace, and recommended that European air carriers should avoid Belarusian airspace. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) started investigating into the incident, the final reported is expected in Nov 2021. </p> <p> </p> <p> “The losses that are associated with the need to overfly and also the lost profits from the ill-conceived actions of our European partners are monetized. In due course, we will file corresponding lawsuits,” Prime reports siting Sikorsky as saying. In his words, Belarus’ civil aviation estimates its lost profits at $10 million per month over the European sanctions. </p> <p> </p> <p> Sikorsky emphasized that the sanctions had been imposed only against the Belarusian air traffic control enterprise Belaeronavigatsia. There are currently no direct sanctions against Belavia or Minsk National Airport. Belarusian air carriers are denied maintenance in European airports, while European airlines are strongly advised against flying over the territory of Belarus and are prohibited to use its airspace, he said. </p> <p> </p> <p> Sikorsky says that despite the restrictive measures against Belavia and the closure of the European sky for it, the carrier is exploring other flights destinations, the planes are not idle, so it would not be quite correct to speak about losses for the airline, but there is a lost revenue. </p> <p> </p> <p> According to him, staff reduction is not an issue for Belavia. “We will make every effort to minimize any sanctions,” Sikorsky said. In particular, the network of flight destinations is being expanded, the number of flights to the east is being increased, and work is underway to attract foreign airlines to fly to Minsk National Airport. End </p>
2021-11-04
Primepress
Belarus to sue EU for damages and lost profits to aviation industry due to sanctions
MINSK, Nov 3 - PrimePress. Belarus is posed to file lawsuits to international courts over the lost revenue and losses caused to Belarus’ aviation industry by the sanctions imposed by the European Union. Director of the Aviation Department of Belarus’ Transport and Communications Ministry Artyom Sikorsky made a statement to this effect at a press conference on 3 November.
On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair flight that took off from Athens was forced to make an emergency landing in the Belarusian capital of Minsk after a reported bomb threat. A Mikoyan MiG-29 jet was scrambled to escort the plane into Minsk. The bomb threat came up empty after the aircraft had landed. The Belarusian authorities specified later that Roman Protasevich, wanted in Belarus as a co-founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, which the Belarusian authorities recognized as extremist, had been among the flight’s passengers. He was detained by Belarusian law enforcement agents. Following the incident, the European Union barred Belarusian air companies from operating flights to EU airports and using the European Union’s airspace, and recommended that European air carriers should avoid Belarusian airspace. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) started investigating into the incident, the final reported is expected in Nov 2021.
“The losses that are associated with the need to overfly and also the lost profits from the ill-conceived actions of our European partners are monetized. In due course, we will file corresponding lawsuits,” Prime reports siting Sikorsky as saying. In his words, Belarus’ civil aviation estimates its lost profits at $10 million per month over the European sanctions.
Sikorsky emphasized that the sanctions had been imposed only against the Belarusian air traffic control enterprise Belaeronavigatsia. There are currently no direct sanctions against Belavia or Minsk National Airport. Belarusian air carriers are denied maintenance in European airports, while European airlines are strongly advised against flying over the territory of Belarus and are prohibited to use its airspace, he said.
Sikorsky says that despite the restrictive measures against Belavia and the closure of the European sky for it, the carrier is exploring other flights destinations, the planes are not idle, so it would not be quite correct to speak about losses for the airline, but there is a lost revenue.
According to him, staff reduction is not an issue for Belavia. “We will make every effort to minimize any sanctions,” Sikorsky said. In particular, the network of flight destinations is being expanded, the number of flights to the east is being increased, and work is underway to attract foreign airlines to fly to Minsk National Airport. End