Following the July 8, 2020 videoconference of the Interstate Council on Aviation and Airspace Use, "Development of reasonable and realistic measures and mechanisms of possible support of civil aviation with regard to substantial travel restrictions adopted by national authorities," a set of support measures for the region's aviation enterprises was reviewed and proposed. Letters with proposals for the implementation of these measures were sent to the governments of all States parties to the Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace.
The following are proposed as specific support measures to consider:
1. Within the CIS and EurAsEC organizations, coordinated decisions will be made to restore air traffic between member countries no later than October 1, 2020. This measure will allow airlines (airline companies, airports, and ATC services) to generate additional revenue, and citizens to travel between countries. If necessary, Interstate Council on Aviation and Use of Airspace is ready to become a moderator of this work.
2. It would be desirable to:
- develop and adopt agreed (unified) sanitary and epidemiological requirements and protective measures;
- agree before the start of the 2021 summer season on establishing minimum tariffs at the level of the corresponding periods in 2019, which will avoid both dumping and associated financial losses, as well as unjustified tariff increases in conditions of limited supply and demand.
3. Consider the possibility of providing financial resources in the form of direct, non-repayable subsidies to enterprises, including to cover additional costs for sanitary and epidemiological protection of their capital. Under current and future conditions, even low-interest loans appear to create additional burdens on businesses and can only exacerbate current financial problems.
4. Provide a further deferral until April-May 2021 for state payments to aviation industry enterprises (airlines, airports, and ATC companies) and reduce their size. This applies to taxes and social security contributions, payments for air navigation services, and payments for aircraft where state financing for aircraft is available (financing from state-owned banks).
5. Consider the possibility of subsidizing/increasing the volume of air travel on socially significant routes and expanding the range of such routes, provided that prices remain at 2019 levels.
6. Avoid price dumping and subsequent losses for airlines, especially in the winter period 2020/2021, consider, at least for interstate (and possibly also for domestic) flights, the possibility of setting lower price limits at the 2019 level.
7. Explore the possibility of introducing a temporary (until the 2021 summer season) restriction on the expansion of airline fleets (aircraft replacement is permitted) and the issuance of new operator certificates.
8. Consider the possibility of compensating, from airline budgets, the costs of maintaining the required qualifications of “temporarily redundant” flight personnel as a measure to ensure flight safety, as well as the costs of storing and decommissioning excess aircraft.
9. Consider fixing all regulated tariffs and charges for airport and air navigation services at the 2019 level by the end of 2021, while simultaneously providing, if necessary, mechanisms for distributing budgetary allocations for airports and air navigation companies.
For its part, Interstate Council on Aviation and Use of Airspace will hold ongoing follow-up video conferences, monitor developments in civil aviation, and discuss and propose possible follow-up support measures.
