OREANDA-NEWS. The Association of Air Transport Operators, which includes 27 Russian airlines, including S7, Utair and Ural Airlines, warned of a possible flight interruption during New Year’s holidays.

The concerns are set forth in a letter from the President of Association, Vladimir Tasun, to the Deputy Minister of Transport Alexander Yurchik, dated December 20. According to the document, the current situation, which is called critical, is caused by the absence of a decision of the Ministry of Transport regarding the use of about 30 aircrafts. The latter has suspended the procedure for introducing airliners into “annexes to agreements concluded by Russia in accordance with Article 83 bis of the Convention on International Civil Aviation” (Transfer of certain functions and duties in cases of lease, charter or interchange of aircraft. – Ed.). According to Tasun, earlier the companies sent the necessary documents to the department of state policy in the sphere of civil aviation of the Ministry.

“Failure to include such a large number of aircrafts will ultimately lead to a massive disruption of flight programs on peak days of the New Year’s holidays,” the head of the Association of Air Transport Operators warns.