Pobeda sues watchdog, ministry for no access to Tbilisi, Istanbul

MOSCOW, Oct 30 (PRIME) -- Russian airline Pobeda, a low-cost affiliate of national flag carrier Aeroflot, has filed a suit against the Federal Air Transport Agency and the Transport Ministry over their refusal to allow the airline to fly from Krasnodar to Tbilisi and from Makhachkala to Istanbul, a Pobeda representative told PRIME on Monday.

“Airline Pobeda had requested access to the Krasnodar–Tbilisi and Makhachkala–Istanbul direct flights under an established order to provide transport accessibility for the citizens. But on July 31, an interdepartmental commission rejected access without any grounds,” the representative said.

“Filing of a complaint to the Prosecutor General’s Office against actions of the interdepartmental commission on access led to no restoration of rights…Pobeda had to file a suit to court against the Federal Air Transport Agency and the Transport Ministry seeking to void the protocol of the interdepartmental commission to protect its violated rights in regards to denial of access to Tbilisi and Istanbul,” the representative said.

Besides Pobeda, no other airline requested access to the routes, and the commission presented no grounds for the denial, the representative added.

End