The monitoring group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, the BSNews and the Maidan of Foreign Affairs presents the June-September 2018 results of monitoring the illegal flights of the Russian airlines to and from the occupied Crimea.
Olha KORBUT
Expert of the monitoring group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, BSNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs
Translated by Tetyana PUCHKOVA
Since July 2014, the Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies Institute, the Maidan of Foreign Affairs and BlackSeaNews has been monitoring daily air traffic over the Russia-occupied Crimean peninsula.
Persuant to the UN General Assembly resolution on territorial integrity of Ukraine #68/262 from March 27, 2014, the airspace above Crimea has been closed for the aircraft trafic due to the Russian occupation of the peninsula and therefore, the impossibility for Ukraine to provide sky security over the ARC. However, from the beginning of the annexation, Russian airlines established the illegal regular air service with the single operating in Crimea Simferopol airport, thus, daily violating the airspace and the state border of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territory.
Since July 2014, more than 40 Russian airlines have flown to the Simferopol airport.
During the summer and the first month of the fall 2018, the following airlines carried out regular passenger transportation to Simferopol airport: Aeroflot, Russia, Ural Airlines, S7 Airlines, Globus, Red Wings, NordAvia, Nordwind Airlines, Pegas Fly, Yamal, Yakutia, YuVT, Alrosa, Gazpromavia, Izavia, Severstal, Ruslane, Azimuth and Kostroma, 19 total.
Over the summer, Russian carriers conducted regular flights between the Simferopol airport and 67 other destinations. Most passengers flew from Moscow, while fewer from St. Petersburg. Connections with other Russian cities ranged from one flight per week to several per day.
Due to the high airfare to Crimea in the tourist season, the Russian occupation authorities annually offer a subsidy program for certain categories of travelers.
In 2018, the RF budget allocations for passenger air transportation to a variety of Russian cities, including those in the occupied Crimea, totalled 3.8 billion rubles. Under the terms of the program, the discounted tickets were extended to citizens under 23 y.o., retireed, adults of the 1st disability category and disabled children of the 2nd and 3rd disability categories as well as persons accompanying those. The subsidies to/from Simferopol have been valid for the period between May 15-November 30, 2018.
However, the actual sale of such tickets for Russia's largest air carriers, Aeroflot and Russia lasted only six days (from March 29, 2018) and in August.
As of October 17, 2018, air carriers stated that they used the annual quota for the discounted tickets to the occupied peninsula, so this year there would be no more available for sale. Overall, in 2018, only seven Russian airlines offered the discounted airfare to Crimea, while the rest had refused to participate in the program due to unfavorable conditions for carriers. Until January 1, 2019 the VAT rate on flights to to Crimea remains zero, while for other domestic flights the it is 10%. Also, with the start of the new terminal’s operation, airport charges at the Simferopol airport have grown by 10%, which will lead to an increase in ticket prices to/from the peninsula.
The BSNews website provides comparative graphs of the flights numbers to and from the Simferopol airport in the various months of the Russian occupation.
Meanwhile, the chart below shows the monthly data for June-September 2014-2018 that allows to compare the traffic frequency for the same period in the different years of the occupation.
The overall dynamics remains the same — the number of flights has been steadlity dropping since 2016.
According to Russia’s Transport Clearing Company, the number of passenger seats to the occupied Crimea for the 2018 high season has been cut by 22%, compared to 2017.
So, the pompous declarations of the peninsula’s occupation «authorities» and the Simferopol airport’s management on the growth of the passenger traffic are simply false.
Over the six months of the new terminal’s operation, passenger traffic to and from Simferopol has totaled 23,400 flights. This figure differs from the 26 000 announced by the "airport management", since while we count the number of actual aircrafts flying to and from Simferopol, the occupation «authorities» counts the flights of different airlines even if they are carried out by the same aircraft.
The monthly flight dynamics to and from the occupied Simferopol (see the chart below) is as follows:
- 2014 — 3650 flights in July, 4434 in August and 3700 in September
- 2015 — 5018 flights in June, 5938 in July, 6454 in August and 5292 in September
- 2016 — 5688 flights in June, 5852 in July, 6026 in August and 4926 in September
- 2017 — 4448 flights in June, 5196 in July, 5368 in August and 4524 in September
- 2018 — 4328 flights in June, 5034 in July, 5284 in August and 4380 in September
Monthly Flight Dynamics to and from the Occupied Crimea
in June-September 2018
/%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%B7%20%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8-1(1).jpg)
The Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, BSNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs monitoring group also regularly monitors the subsequent movement of aircrafts that illegally fly to the occupied Crimea. We can confirm that a number of them also provide passenger traffic to the European countries that have condemned the Russian annexation of Crimea. The database of those aircrafts is being continuously updated and expanded. Previous monitoring results can be found in the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, BSNews and the Maidan of Foreign Affairs monthly air traffic reviews.
The table below details the European flights by the Russian airlines that regularly fly to the Simferopol airport:
|
Aircraft # |
Model |
Airlines |
Flight from SIP |
Flight to EU/Other |
|
VQ-BFV |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
SVX-SIP |
Moscow-Frankfurt, Germany |
|
VP-BRM |
Airbus |
Red Wings |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Tivat, Montenegro |
|
VQ-BRR |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines/ |
|
Moscow-Larnaca, Cyprus |
|
VP-BDH |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines/ Globus |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Tivat, Montenegro |
|
VQ-BUF |
Boeing |
Rossiya |
SIP-TJM |
Moscow-Pafos, Cyprus |
|
VP-BSK (TC-AAL) |
Boeing |
Nordwind Airlines |
SIP-SVO |
Djerba, Tunisia-Antalya, Turkey |
|
VP-BQK |
Airbus |
Rossiya |
LED-SIP |
St.Petersburg-Milan, Italy |
|
VQ-BDM |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-KJA |
Moscow-Batumi, Georgia |
|
VP-BWH |
Airbus |
Rossiya |
SIP-LED |
St.Petersburg-Tivat, Montenegro |
|
VP-BTZ |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
DME-SIP |
Yekaterinburg-Bologna, Italy |
|
VQ-BVK |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
OVB-SIP |
Moscow-Tivat, Montenegro |
|
VP-BLP |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Frankfurt, Germany |
|
VQ-BTP |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
DME-SIP |
Yekaterinburg-Paris, France |
|
VQ-BOB |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
DME-SIP U62841 |
Moscow-Antalya, Turkey |
|
VQ-BIZ |
Boeing |
Yakutia Airlines |
VKO-SIP |
Moscow-Antalya, Turkey |
|
VP-BQF |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
OVB-SIP |
Moscow-Verona, Italy |
|
VQ-BVV |
Boeing |
Rossiya |
VKO-SIP |
Moscow-Antalya, Turkey FV5837 Landed 20:56 |
|
VP-BNN |
Airbus |
Rossiya |
LED-SIP |
St.Petersburg-Barcelona, Spain |
|
VQ-BKU |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-London, UK |
|
VP-BNJ |
Airbus |
Rossiya |
LED-SIP |
St.Petersburg-Nice, France |
|
VP-BWW |
Airbus |
Red Wings |
DME-SIP WZ301 |
St.Petersburg-Tivat, Montenegro |
|
VP-BEO |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Istanbul, Turkey |
|
VQ-BPX |
Boeing |
Rossiya |
MRV-SIP |
Moscow-Kos, Greece |
|
VP-BWG |
Airbus |
Rossiya |
LED-SIP |
St.Petersburg-Nice, France |
|
VQ-BSI |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Budapest, Hungary |
|
VQ-BRE |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
KUF-SIP |
Moscow-Batumi, Georgia |
|
VQ-BKW |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines/ |
DME-SIP |
Moscow-Larnaca, Cyprus |
|
VQ-BCX |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
ZIA-SIP |
Yekaterinburg-Burgas, Bulgaria |
|
VP-BDF |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines/ |
DME-SIP |
Moscow-Antalya, Turkey |
|
VP-BDG |
Boeing |
S7 Airlines/ |
|
Moscow-Larnaca, Cyprus |
|
VP-BCA |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Prague, Czech Republic |
|
VP-BTA |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Antalya, Turkey |
|
VP-BQW |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
ZIA-SIP |
Yekaterinburg-Prague, Czech Republic |
|
VQ-BPV |
Airbus |
Aeroflot |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Paris, France |
|
VQ-BGJ |
Airbus |
Ural Airlines |
ZIA-SIP |
Moscow-Munich, Germany |
***
In the summer of 2018, the aircrafts above most often flew to Germany, Turkey, Cyprus, Montenegro, France, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria.
Below is the table of the aircraft tail numbers, as well as the departure and arrival cities the monitoring group has been able to identify.
The information will be passed on to the respective embassies and other official institutions with the aim of putting together the black list of aircrafts that would put an end to their service at the airports of the countries that have publicly recognized the annexation of the Crimea to Russia as illegal.
|
Country |
Destination |
Aircraft # |
|
Germany (20) |
Frankfurt Munich Dusseldorf Hannover Berlin Hamburg |
VQ-BFV (23.08.2018) VQ-BRR (22.09.2018) VP-BDH (19.06.2018) VQ-BDM (03.07.2018) VP-BTZ (12.06.2018) VQ-BVK (30.06.2018) VP-BLP (27.06.2018) VP-BQF (28.06.2018) VP-BNN (14.08.2018) VQ-BKU (21.07.2018) VP-BNJ (08.08.2018) VQ-BSI (18.08.2018) VQ-BRE (06.08.2018) VP-BDF (10.08.2018) VP-BDG (16.08.2018) VP-BCA (04.08.2018) VP-BTA (27.08.2018) VP-BQW (17.08.2018) VQ-BPV (17.09.2018) VQ-BGJ (13.09.2018) |
|
Turkey (19) |
Antalya Bodrum Izmir Istanbul |
VP-BRM (19.06.2018) VQ-BRR (26.09.2018) VQ-BUF (13.06.2018) VP-BSK (TC-AAL) (01.07.2018) VQ-BDM (08.06.2018) VP-BLP (02.07.2018) VQ-BTP (15.06.2018) VQ-BOB (12.06.2018) VQ-BIZ (26.06.2018) VQ-BVV (14.08.2018) VP-BNN (14.08.2018) VP-BNJ (07.08.2018) VQ-BKW (20.08.2018) VP-BEO (03.08.2018) VQ-BCX (13.08.2018) VP-BDF (03.08.2018) VP-BDG (08.08.2018) VP-BCA (17.08.2018) VP-BTA (12.08.2018) |
|
Montenegro (13) |
Tivat |
VP-BRM (03.06.2018) VP-BDH (18.06.2018) VQ-BUF (08.06.2018) VQ-BDM (01.07.2018) VP-BWH (26.06.2018) VQ-BVK (08.06.2018) VQ-BOB (17.06.2018) VP-BQF (26.06.2018) VP-BWW (28.07.2018) VQ-BKW (10.08.2018) VQ-BCX (11.08.2018) VP-BDF (05.08.2018) VP-BDG (08.08.2018) |
|
Cyprus (12) |
Larnaca Pafos |
VQ-BRR (20.09.2018) VP-BDH (01.07.2018) VQ-BUF (10.06.2018) VQ-BVK (15.06.2018) VQ-BOB (26.06.2018) VP-BQF (17.06.2018) VQ-BVV (15.08.2018) VQ-BPX (09.08.2018) VQ-BCX (12.08.2018) VP-BDF (06.08.2018) VP-BDG (06.08.2018) VQ-BKW (03.08.2018) |
|
France (11) |
Paris Nice Lyon |
VP-BQK (18.09.2018) VP-BWH (19.09.2018) VP-BTZ (03.06.2018) VQ-BTP (07.06.2018) VQ-BVV (17.08.2018) VP-BNN (07.08.2018) VQ-BKU (15.07.2018) VP-BNJ (06.08.2018) VP-BWG (21.07.2018) VQ-BPV (01.08.2018) VP-BQW (16.09.2018) |
|
Spain (8) |
Madrid Palma de Mallorca Barcelona Valencia Malaga |
VQ-BOB (10.06.2018) VQ-BVV (16.08.2108) VP-BNN (05.08.2018) VP-BEO (16.08.2018) VQ-BRE (10.08.2018) VQ-BCX (12.08.2018) VP-BTA (25.08.2018) VQ-BPV (15.09.2018) |
|
Bulgaria (8) |
Varna Burgas |
VQ-BUF (11.06.2018) VQ-BDM (29.06.2018) VP-BWH (02.07.2018) VQ-BOB (18.06.2018) VQ-BIZ (26.06.2018) VP-BNN (17.08.2018) VP-BWW (31.07.2018) VQ-BCX (08.08.2018) |
|
Italy (7) |
Naples Milan Rome Rimini Verona Bologna Bari |
VP-BRM (09.06.2018) VQ-BUF (09.06.2018) VP-BQK (20.09.2018) VQ-BDM (28.06.2018) VP-BTZ (02.06.2018) VQ-BOB (16.06.2018) VP-BQF (10.06.2018) |
|
Czech Republic (6) |
Prague |
VP-BQW (07.08.2018) VQ-BFV (24.08.2018) VQ-BKU (19.07.2018) VQ-BRE (21.08.2018) VP-BCA (03.08.2018) VQ-BGJ (16.09.2018) |
|
Greece (6) |
Corfu Athens Heraklion Kos |
VQ-BUF (09.06.2018) VP-BSK (TC-AAL) (01.07.2018) VQ-BOB (07.06.2018) VQ-BPX (07.08.2018) VP-BCA (16.08.2018) VP-BTA (30.08.2018) |
|
Hungary (6) |
Budapest |
VP-BLP (30.06.2018) VQ-BKU (30.07.2018) VP-BEO (18.08.2018) VQ-BPX (21.08.2018) VQ-BSI (16.08.2018) VP-BCA (15.08.2018) |
|
Georgia(6) |
Batumi Tbilisi Kutaisi |
VP-BRM (08.06.2018) VQ-BDM (07.06.2018) VP-BTZ (17.06.2018) VQ-BTP (16.06.2018) VQ-BRE (05.08.2018) VP-BQW (23.08.2018) |
|
UK (5) |
London |
VP-BQK (17.09.2018) VP-BNN (11.08.2018) VQ-BKU (23.06.2018) VP-BNJ (15.08.2018) VP-BWG (01.08.2018) |
|
Finland (5) |
Helsinki |
VQ-BKU (28.07.2018) VP-BEO (05.08.2018) VP-BCA (30.08.2018) VP-BTA (18.08.2018) VQ-BPV (18.09.2018) |
|
Moldova (4) |
Chisinau |
VP-BLP (28.06.2018) VQ-BSI (17.08.2018) VP-BCA (09.08.2018) VP-BTA (19.08.2018) |
|
Sweden (3) |
Stockholm |
VQ-BPV (20.09.2018) VQ-BKU (04.07.2018) VP-BLP (29.06.2018) |
|
Belgium (3) |
Brussels |
VP-BLP (29.06.2018) VQ-BKU (23.07.2018) VP-BEO (26.08.2018) |
|
Serbia (3) |
Belgrade |
VQ-BPV (04.08.2018) VP-BRM (26.06.2018) VP-BTA (28.08.2018) |
|
Denmark (3) |
Copenhagen |
VQ-BDM (27.06.2018) VP-BEO (06.08.2018) VP-BTA (16.08.2018) |
|
Austria (3) |
Vienna |
VP-BNN (17.08.2018) VQ-BKU (19.07.2018) VQ-BPV (21.09.2018) |
|
Poland (2) |
Warsaw |
VQ-BDM (15.06.2018) VP-BTA (22.08.2018) |
|
Norway (2) |
Oslo |
VP-BTA (18.08.2018) VP-BCA (30.08.2018) |
|
Croatia (2) |
Split |
VQ-BKU (20.07.2018) VP-BEO (05.08.2018) |
|
Lithuania (2) |
Vilnius |
VP-BEO (16.08.2018) VP-BTA (25.08.2018) |
|
Tunisia (1) |
Djerba Monastir |
VP-BSK (TC-AAL) (02.07.2018) |
|
Iceland (1) |
Reykjavik |
VQ-BVK (23.06.2018) |
|
Latvia (1) |
Riga |
VQ-BKU (12.07.2018) |
|
USA (1) |
Houston |
VP-BSK (TC-AAL) (12.06.2018) |
|
Switzerland (1) |
Zurich |
VQ-BKU (07.08.2018) |
Note:
In December 2014 the administration of the US President Barack Obama has adopted a number of decisions regarding the sanctions for any action in the occupied Crimea.
In April of the same year, in accordance with the ICAO Convention on International Civil Aviation, the Eurocontrol (the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation), banned the European airlines from flying to the Russia-occupied Crimea and Sevastopol. [1].
Ukraine officially accused [2] Russia of violation of the international multilateral and bilateral agreements and the provisions of the European Air Navigation Plan, as well as in ignoring the established borders of the Flight Information Regions (FIR) [3].
The Air Navigation Services in the sky over the Crimean Peninsula belong to the jurisdiction to Ukraine that due to the Russian annexation of the Crimean AR had to move the dispatch center from Simferopol to Kyiv and Odessa.
However, due to the inability of the State Avia Service to guarantee security of the Ukraine flights over the occupied territories, in March 2014, it was decided to close the airports in Simferopol and Belbek and the lower airspace and to restrict traffic in Simferopol flight information region.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to service the Black Sea FIR within its competence.
In April 2014, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) called Russia's actions to seize control of the airspace above Crimea and the Black Sea waters that belong to the Ukrainian FIR, illegal [4].
[1] The ban of the flights to the occupied Crimea for European airlines: http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/198796.html
[2] Announcement of the SE "UkrAeroRukh" of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine: http://uksatse.ua/index.php?act=Part&CODE=247&id=264
[3] The FIR (Flight Information Region) is a specified region of airspace in which a flight information service and an alerting service are provided
[4] The publication in the online edition of the Tyzhden magazine from 16.04.2014 http://tyzhden.ua/News/107719
For two and a half years, the BSNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs monitoring group conducts daily monitoring of the illegal flights to the occupied Crimea followed by the media publications of the results of the investigation on the airlines-offenders.
* * *
For the last two and a half years, the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, BSNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs monitoring group has been conducting daily monitoring of the illegal flights to the occupied Crimea with further publications in the media on the airlines offenders.
