ICAO team arrives in Belarus to investigate Ryanair incident
<p> MINSK, Aug 23 - PrimePress. Experts of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have arrived in Belarus to investigate the May 23 incident with Ryanair's FR4978 flight, the press service of the Belarusian Transport and Communications Ministry said in a statement. </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, on May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair plane that took off from Athens made an emergency landing at Minsk International Airport after a reported bomb threat. A MiG-29 fighter jet alert crew was scrambled to escort the plane. After the landing, the plane was inspected and no bomb was found on board. The Belarusian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into a false bomb alert. Among the passengers on that flight was Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel recognized as extremist in Belarus. He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus and is on the international wanted list. European countries said Minsk had forced the aircraft to land at its airport under an invented pretext. Some airlines decided to fly bypassing Belarusian airspace. The EU Council also banned the use of the airspace and airports of the European Union by Belarusian air carriers. </p> <p> </p> <p> A working meeting with the ICAO team took place on 23 August. Transport and Communications Minister Aleksey Avramenko, Director of the Aviation Department of the Transport and Communications Ministry Artyom Sikorsky, an interagency commission of Belarus, and heads of aviation organizations took part in the meeting. </p> <p> </p> <p> Sylvain Lefoyer, head of the ICAO group, assured that the experts will work in a transparent and objective manner. End </p>
2021-08-24
Primepress
ICAO team arrives in Belarus to investigate Ryanair incident
MINSK, Aug 23 - PrimePress. Experts of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have arrived in Belarus to investigate the May 23 incident with Ryanair's FR4978 flight, the press service of the Belarusian Transport and Communications Ministry said in a statement.
As previously reported, on May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair plane that took off from Athens made an emergency landing at Minsk International Airport after a reported bomb threat. A MiG-29 fighter jet alert crew was scrambled to escort the plane. After the landing, the plane was inspected and no bomb was found on board. The Belarusian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into a false bomb alert. Among the passengers on that flight was Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel recognized as extremist in Belarus. He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus and is on the international wanted list. European countries said Minsk had forced the aircraft to land at its airport under an invented pretext. Some airlines decided to fly bypassing Belarusian airspace. The EU Council also banned the use of the airspace and airports of the European Union by Belarusian air carriers.
A working meeting with the ICAO team took place on 23 August. Transport and Communications Minister Aleksey Avramenko, Director of the Aviation Department of the Transport and Communications Ministry Artyom Sikorsky, an interagency commission of Belarus, and heads of aviation organizations took part in the meeting.
Sylvain Lefoyer, head of the ICAO group, assured that the experts will work in a transparent and objective manner. End