Database of the Russian Airlines that Flew to the Occupied Crimea in September 2017
Olha KORBUT
The Maidan of Foreign Affairs,
Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies
Translated by Tetyana PUCHKOVA
The Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, BSNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs monitoring group has summarized the Russian airlines’ illegal flights to the occupied Crimea in September 2017.
In September, the holiday season in Crimea normally winds down. This is the peninsula’s fourth autumn under the Russian occupation and despite the optimistic statements by the occupation authorities about the steady increase in the passenger air traffic, comparative monitoring with the same period of the past years demonstrates the opposite.
In September of this year, 4524 flights went to and from the airport of Simferopol, compared to 4926 over the same period last year. The largest number of September flights to and from the occupied Crimea was in 2015, amounting to 5292, compared to 3700 in September of 2014, the first year of annexation.
The comparative chart below shows changes in the frequency of air travel during the occupation. Along with the 2015 peak, the two subsequent years show a clear downward trend in the number of daily flights both ways. Moscow and St. Petersburg remain the most popular destinations, while flights from other Russian cities to the occupied Crimea rarely exceed once a day.
The Dynamics of the Passenger Flights to and from
the Simferopol Airport in September 2014-2017
The Negative Profit Business
At the end of the month, it was reported that VIM-Avia delayed its flights at the Simferopol airport.
|
VIM-Avia |
ІАТА NN Destinations: Regular charter flights to Spain, Italy, Greece, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, France, Finland, Austria, Bulgaria, India, UAE and Sri Lanka |
The carrier’s passengers were forced to extend their stay in the occupied peninsula for another day or more. Later it became known that VIM-Avia had gone bankrupt, so its passengers had to be carried out of Crimea by other Russian airlines.
We would like to remind the readers that VIM-Avia performed regular passenger flights to the occupied Crimea from the beginning of the annexation. Due to the bankruptcy of the carrier, Russian tour operators now predict an increase in the airfare to the occupied Crimea next year.
A plane of the bankrupt Russian airline VIM-Avia in the airport of the occupied Simferopol. Photo by Vladimir Kazakevich.
The BSNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs monitoring group also regularly monitors the subsequent movement of aircrafts that illegally fly to the occupied Crimea, and 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. The previous monitoring results can be found in the 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 |
Flight # |
Airlines |
Flight to/from Simferopol |
Flight to EU |
|
VP-BQW |
Airbus A320-214 |
U634 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
LED-Tbilisi(Georgia) |
|
VQ-BTZ |
Airbus A319-112 |
U6530 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-ROV |
Moscow-Lisbon(Portugal) U6843 08:24AM 03.09.2017 |
|
VP-BJF |
Boeing |
N4133 |
Nordwind Airlines |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Dublin(Ireland) N47705 09:42AM 11.09.2017 |
|
VQ-BRK |
Boeing |
S7/GH3328 |
S7 Airlines/ |
SIP-OVB |
Moscow-Dusseldorf(Germany) S7991 2:19PM 16.09.2017 |
|
VP-BNL |
Airbus A320-200 |
SU1636 |
Aeroflot / Russia |
SVO-SIP |
Moscow-Dusseldorf(Germany) |
|
VP-BJV |
Airbus |
U6530 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-ROV |
Moscow-Kutaisi(Georgia) |
|
VQ-BSR |
Boeing |
SU6152 |
Rossiya |
SIP-VKO |
Burgas(Bulgaria)-Moscow |
|
RA-64043 |
Tupolev Tu204-100 |
WZ310 |
Red Wings |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Tivat(Montenegro) WZ533 10:00AM 08.09.2017 |
|
VQ-BKW |
Boeing |
S7/GH262 |
S7 Airlines/ |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Pafos(Cyprus) |
|
VP-BDF |
Boeing |
S7/GH262 |
S7 Airlines/ |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Dusseldorf(Germany) |
|
VP-BMW |
Airbus |
U644 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyrpus) |
|
VP-BIN |
Boeing |
NN346 |
VIM-Avia |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VQ-BOC |
Airbus |
U62932 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
LED-Barcelona(Spain) |
|
VQ-BUE |
Boeing |
FV5520 |
Rossiya |
SIP-VKO |
Moscow-Prague(CZ) |
|
VQ-BEA |
Airbus |
SU1628 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SVO-SIP |
Stuttgart(Germany)-Moscow |
|
VP-BUG |
Boeing |
S7/GH166 |
S7 Airlines/ |
SIP-DME |
Dusseldorf(Germany)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BVM |
Boeing |
S7/GH266 |
S7 Airlines/ |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyprus) |
|
VP-BNG |
Boeing |
S7/GH166 |
S7 Airlines/ |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyrpus) |
|
VQ-BCV |
Airbus |
SU1645 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-New York(USA) |
|
VQ-BPJ |
Airbus |
SU1645 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
New York(USA)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BCU |
Airbus |
SU1623 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-London(UK) |
|
VP-BLY |
Airbus |
SU1623 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
London(UK)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BNS |
Airbus |
SU1645 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
London(UK)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BEL |
Airbus |
SU1645 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
London(UK)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BPI |
Airbus |
SU1623 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-New York(USA) |
|
VQ-BQZ |
Airbus |
SU1622 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SVO-SIP |
London(UK)-Moscow |
|
VP-BDD |
Airbus |
SU1645 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-New York(USA) |
|
VQ-BQY |
Airbus |
SU1644 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SVO-SIP |
London(UK)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BMY |
Airbus |
SU1645 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-New York(USA) |
|
VQ-BEK |
Airbus |
SU1623 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-London(UK) |
|
VQ-BST |
Airbus |
SU1649 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Dusseldorf(Germany) |
|
VP-BMT |
Airbus |
U6528 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
Moscow-Venice(Italy) |
|
VP-BTZ |
Airbus |
U6528 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
Moscow-Batumi(Georgia) |
|
VP-BOA |
Boeing |
FV5520 |
Rossiya |
SIP-VKO |
Yekaterinburg-Heraklion(Greece) |
|
VP-BFZ |
Airbus |
U6528 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
Rome(Italy)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BOF |
Airbus |
U62842 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Larnaca(Cyrpus)-LED |
|
VQ-BFW |
Airbus A320-214 |
U62896 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Prague(CZ)-Yekaterinburg |
|
VP-BNQ |
Boeing |
SU1635 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Brussels(Belgium)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BSR |
Boeing |
SU6152 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-VKO |
Heraklion(Greece)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BMG |
Boeing |
S7/GH166 |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
SIP-DME |
Novosibirsk-Dusseldorf(Germany) |
|
VP-BYU |
Airbus |
N4124 |
Nordwind Airlines |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Heraklion(Greece) |
|
VP-BRN |
Boeing |
5N190 |
NordAvia |
SIP-MMK |
LED-Batumi(Georgia) |
|
VP-BAD |
Airbus |
SU1627 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Stockholm(Sweden) |
|
RA-89028 |
Sukhoi Superjet |
SU2801 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-AER |
Vilnius(Lithuania)-Moscow |
|
VQ-BCI |
Airbus A320-214 |
U646 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Yekaterinburg-Burgas(Bulgaria) |
|
VQ-BMX |
Airbus |
SU1793 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-New York(USA) |
|
VP-BMW |
Airbus |
U644 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Tbilisi(Georgia) |
|
VP-BIS |
Airbus |
SU6892 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-LED |
LED-Burgas(Bulgaria) |
|
VP-BQF |
Boeing |
S7/GH268 |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyprus) |
|
VP-BTG |
Airbus |
SU1625 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Munich(Germany) |
|
VQ-BSH |
Airbus |
SU1625 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Berlin(Germany) |
|
VQ-BAV |
Airbus |
SU6134 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-ROV |
LED-Varna(Bulgaria) |
|
VP-BRM |
Airbus |
WZ701 |
Red Wings |
SIP-LED |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VQ-BRQ |
Boeing |
S7/GH3328 |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
SIP-OVB |
Novosibirsk-Frankfurt(Germany) |
|
VP-BBH |
Airbus |
U6514 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-LED |
Palma de Mallorca(Spain)-Moscow |
|
VP-BKB |
Airbus |
U610 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
LED-Batumi(Georgia) |
|
VQ-BDR |
Airbus |
SU6884 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-LED |
LED-Berlin(Germany) |
|
VQ-BCY |
Airbus |
U644 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
LED-Batumi(Georgia) |
|
VQ-BJX |
Boeing |
FV5610 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVX |
Chelyabinsk-Larnaca(Cyprus) |
|
VP-BSW |
Airbus |
U62832 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Palma de Mallorca(Spain) |
|
VQ-BSU |
Airbus |
SU1629 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Dresden(Germany) |
|
VQ-BOY |
Boeing |
R3472 |
Yakutia |
SIP-VKO |
Krasnodar-Prague(CZ) |
|
VP-BDX |
Boeing |
NN322 |
VIM-Avia |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VQ-BFV |
Airbus |
U610 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyrpus) |
|
VP-BNC |
Boeing |
SU1635 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Milan(Italy) |
|
VP-BRM |
Airbus |
WZ701 |
Red Wings |
SIP-LED |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VP-BDH |
Boeing |
S7/GH266 |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Tivat(Montenegro) |
|
VQ-BLO |
Airbus |
U6528 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
Moscow-Batumi(Georgia) |
|
VP-BLR |
Airbus |
SU1629 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Istanbul(Turkey) |
|
VP-BHW |
Airbus |
YC817 |
Yamal |
SIP-LED |
Nizhniy Novgorod-Riga(Latvia) |
|
VP-BIE |
Airbus |
U678 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyprus) |
|
VP-BNT |
Airbus |
SU1633 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Frankfurt(Germany) Moscow-Stockholm(Sweden) |
|
VQ-BKH |
Airbus |
U61090 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Yekaterinburg-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VQ-BRX |
Embraer ERJ-195AR |
6W5886 |
Saratov Airlines |
SIP-MQF |
Antalya(Turkey)-Saratov |
|
VP-BOD |
Boeing |
SU6135 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-KRR |
Moscow-Podgorica(Montenegro) |
|
VQ-BKV |
Boeing |
S7/GH266 |
S7 Airlines / |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyprus) |
|
VP-BBQ |
Airbus |
U68 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyrpus) |
|
VP-BJY |
Airbus |
SU1627 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Frankfurt(Germany) |
|
VQ-BRW |
Airbus |
SU1629 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Heraklion(Greece) |
|
VP-BEP |
Boeing |
R3472A |
Yakutia |
SIP-VKO |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VP-BET |
Airbus |
SU1649 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Stockholm(Sweden) |
|
VP-BTF |
Airbus |
U6528 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-SVX |
Moscow-Venice(Italy) |
|
VP-BDL |
Airbus |
U6522 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Yekaterinburg-Prague(CZ) |
|
VQ-BTL |
Airbus |
NN9352 |
VIM-Avia |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VQ-BCO |
Airbus |
SU6134 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-ROV |
LED-Dusseldorf(Germany) |
|
VP-BZA |
Boeing |
SU1635 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Antalya(Turkey) |
|
VP-BRS |
Airbus |
WZ308 |
Red Wings |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Naples(Italy) |
|
VP-BJL |
Boeing |
N4124 |
Nordwind Airlines |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Larnaca(Cyrprus) |
|
VP-BSY |
Airbus |
U62842 |
Ural Airlines |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Palma de Mallorca(Spain) |
|
VP-BFG |
Airbus |
SU1649 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Stuttgart(Germany) |
|
VP-BCB |
Airbus |
SU1625 |
Aeroflot / Rossiya |
SIP-SVO |
Moscow-Warsaw(Poland) |
|
VP-BND |
Boeing |
S7/GH162 |
S7 Airlines / Globus |
SIP-DME |
Moscow-Dusseldorf(Germany) |
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.
* * *
The monitoring of the violations of the international sanctions against Russia and the legal regime of the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea is supported by the European Program Initiative of the Renaissance International Foundation. The position of Renaissance International Foundation may not reflect the opinion of the authors.
More on the topic
- 06.01.2020 Databаse of airplanes that flew to the occupied Crimea and EU member-states, USA and other destinations in 2019
- 14.12.2019 24 aircrafts operated by 9 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on December 13
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- 11.12.2019 22 aircrafts operated by 9 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on December 10
- 03.12.2019 20 aircrafts operated by 8 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on December 2
- 01.12.2019 23 aircrafts operated by 8 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on November 30
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- 21.11.2019 23 aircrafts operated by 9 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on November 20
- 20.11.2019 23 aircrafts operated by 9 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on November 19
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- 18.11.2019 27 aircrafts operated by 9 Russian airlines flew to the occupied Crimea on November 17