ArmInfo. The creation of unequal conditions at Russian airports for airlines of the countries - members of the EAEU contradicts the principles and rules of healthy competition. The State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of Armenia (SCPEC) adheres to this point of view.According to the Commission's press service, a few months ago, the Armenian airline Taron-Avia appealed to SCPEC with a complaint about the differentiated pricing policy of Russian airports.
According to the complaint, although Armenia and Russia are members of the Eurasian Economic Union, Russian airports consider Armenian air carriers foreign, applying higher prices to them compared to domestic air carriers.
This situation does not allow the Armenian airline to compete with Russian airlines because of the current pricing policy.Taron-Avia informed the Commission that the pricing policy applied by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency(Rosaviatsia) in the provision of air navigation services is also problematic. In Russia, there are differentiated approaches for air navigation services. For example, non-local companies are charged $ 95.2 per 100 km, while local airlines pay about the same service about 3 times cheaper - $ 35 dollars per 100 km.According to the Commission, as a result of this approach, Russian airlines gain a serious competitive advantage over Armenian airlines. The current situation has led to the fact that in the case of Taron Avia, various cities of the Russian Federation that are considered to be targeted, become uncompetitive for a company that is forced to incur additional costs that significantly affect the cost of air tickets.The Commission has been discussing this issue for a long time in the ECE, which is also interested in a quick and full settlement.Problems. As a result of the work carried out, a schedule was drawn up that allows identifying differentiated fares at all Russian airports over the next two years and revising them. In other words, a single decision was made to equalize tariffs in all Member States of the Union.
We also note that practical steps are being taken, as a result of which two Russian airports have revised their tariff policy,and for Armenian airlines there are no differentiated approaches.SCPEC adds that in Armenia there are no differences in the air navigation services of both Armenian and foreign companies, which meansthat air carriers of all countries have equal chances of competition.Recall that Taron-Avia, based in the Shirak airport of Gyumri, began flying to Russia from April 25, 2017. She operated flights to Krasnodar, Samara and Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. However, in early 2018, the company stopped passenger flights and performs freight transportation.