You're reading: State Aviation Service: Russia trying to take functions on air navigation servicing of Crimea

Russia tried on a unilateral basis to assume powers to provide air navigation services with regard to flight information for Simferopol district from April 3, 2014, the press service of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine has reported.

The press service said that the service issued and published a report
on the ban of flights from/to the Simferopol airfield and on the
closure of airspace over the whole territory of Crimea starting from
March 12, 2014.

“However, Russian airlines fly to the closed Simferopol airport,
violating the borders of airspace where flights are banned,” the service
said.

The service is working on the notification of Russia on the revealed
infringements of the international air law and Ukrainian law, and
information about the situation around Crimea and violation of the
requirements of the Convention on International Civil Aviation,
bilateral and multilateral agreements and decisions of the council of
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is permanently sent
to the ICAO, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the
European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and European Organization for
the safety of air navigation (Eurocontrol).

The Ukrainian State Air Traffic Service Enterprise (UkSATSE) stably
services transit flights in the upper airspace over Crimea and the water
area of the Black Sea, were Ukraine is responsible for the organization
of air communications.

“The State Aviation Service jointly with ICAO and Eurocontrol is
taking all possible measures to force Russia to act only in line with
international laws. The ICAO confirmed the indivisibility of Ukraine’s
airspace and the belonging of the Simferopol airfield to the area of
Ukraine’s responsibility,” the service said.

Eurocontrol, in turn, confirmed that in the future it will act in
line with the requirements of international law and the organization
does not admit the unilateral announcement on the provision of air
navigation services over any part of Ukraine’s airspace.

According to a posting on Russia’s State ATM Corporation, Eurocontrol
recommended to follow directions of Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Romanian and
Turkish dispatchers when flying near Crimea, and not Russian ones, while
from 10 p.m. Moscow time on April 3 the Simferopol flight control center
provides air navigation services in the area where the center is
responsible for the provision of services.