Russian Transport Minister Assures In Flight Safety Across Country Despite Sanctions

Russian Transport Minister Assures in Flight Safety Across Country Despite Sanctions

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2023) KAMCHATSKY, Russia, January 29 (Sputnik) - Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Saveliev on Sunday assured that air travel across the country is safe despite the sanctions since companies servicing the planes have "a full stock of spare parts."

"Don't even doubt it. No airline will take an airplane into the air if it is not sure of safety. Neither (Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency) Rosaviatsiya, nor (Federal Service for Supervision of Transport) Rostransnadzor, nor the Transport Ministry, we will never support this," Saveliev said in an interview aired on Russian television, when asked whether it would be safe to fly in the summer season after more than a year of Russian aviation under sanctions.

The minister noted that all Russian aircraft are quite young and "will last for quite a long time," adding that the average age of the fleet as a whole in the country is about 15 years.

"We are certainly looking forward to the MC-21s, Sukhoi Superjets, joining the fleet in sufficient numbers, but while we are waiting, we keep flying, ensuring both airworthiness and safety ... We have a full stock of spare parts. So we have nothing to worry about," Saveliev said.

The minister also added that "all companies that are involved in maintenance of aircraft are working in normal mode," and noted that he himself checked the airports and the companies' operation.

The West has launched a massive sanctions campaign against Moscow in retaliation for the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.