You're reading: Russian aviation agency dismisses Ukrainian fines for flights to Crimea

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) has argued that fines imposed by Ukraine on Russian airlines for flights to Crimea make no legal sense.

The Ukrainian State Aviation Service had earlier slapped fines
totaling $2 million on Russian airlines for alleged violations of
Ukrainian air traffic rules.

Rosaviatsiya said in a statement that the Ukrainian State Aviation
Service was wrong in saying the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) had prohibited all flights to Crimea. “The ICAO has
never banned Russian or foreign air carriers from conducting flights to
Simferopol airport for one simple reason – bans are not a prerogative or
function of ICAO,” the Russian agency said.

Rosaviatsiya cited Article 1 of the Convention on International Civil
Aviation, which says: “The contracting States recognize that every
State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its
territory.”

“It is the private business of Ukraine that it ignores the Crimean
people’s statement of the will that the Republic of Crimea should become
part of the Russian Federation,” Rosaviatsiya said.

“The State Aviation Service of Ukraine cannot prohibit Russian
airline companies from conducting domestic flights between Russian
cities or fine them for flights through Russian airspace,” it said.