Analysts warn about degradation of civil aviation

The situation of the civil aviation in Moldova starts to show signs of weakness. It is a curious fact when the Government’s “visible hand” tries to act to the benefit of some interest groups, substituting the “invisible and impartial hand” of the free market”, says programme director of the Expert-Group Analytic Centre Alex Oprunenco, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to the expert, two recent events should attract maximum attention from the public: allotting of MDL 93 mln from the state budget to the State Company “Air-Moldova” for purchasing an aircraft, and the Ukrainian State Aeronautic Agency’s prohibition (unapplied for the moment) imposed to Moldovan companies to fly over the territory of this state in transit flights. The first one, according to the expert, is a defiance of the common sense, which cut to bits the leadership’s statements on economic reforms and European integration and ignores other priorities of the society. First of all, the aircraft is to be purchased via a network registered in off-shore zones. Secondly, this transaction in fact legalises the tax indiscipline of the state-capital companies and a vulnerable position of the private companies. The second situation - the refusal of the Ukrainian company “Aerosvit” to operate daily flights on the Kiev-Chisinau-Kiev route – is the example of an attempt to obstruct the entrance of a new company on the market, a fact which would lead to increased competition and, consequently, of comfort and availability of tickets for passengers. The analyst asserts that, although from the legal point of view the response of the Ukrainian authorities is exaggerated, the decision of the Moldovan Civil Aviation Administration (ASAC) concerning “Aerosvit” is hard to understand from economic and social aspects. The fact that the airline assigned by ASAC – “TandemAero” – isn’t able to operate flights to Kiev at a frequency expected by “Aerosvit”, doesn’t mean that neither the company appointed by Kiev authorities is able to operate flights with that frequency. ASAC statements saying that Aerosvit’s objective “has no economic arguments, taking into consideration the passenger flow between the two countries”, is not of the ASAC competence, the analyst says. According to him, economic arguments have to concern the Ukrainian company, first of all, which would have to pay the costs related to the flights. The Chisinau airport, on the other hand will only benefit from this. Moreover, the passengers would benefit thanks to increased security and comfort (“Aerosvit” uses Boeing aircrafts, compared to “TandemAero” which flies on a second-hand Embraeer 120, rented from “AirMoldova”) as well as more reasonable prices proposed by the Ukrainian company. Oprunenco exemplifies that at the moment the airfare for the Tel-Aviv - Odessa (or Kiev) - Tel-Aviv route operated by “Aerosvit” is of aboul USD 300 to 400, including airport duities, while the Chisinau -Tel-Aviv-Chisinau flight operated by the same “TandemAero” costs USD 514.