Kommersant learned about the possible introduction of an additional fee from air passengers

The fee, which is expected to reach 300 rubles, will be used to refund passengers in the event of bankruptcy of airlines. The industry fears the consequences of a rise in ticket prices because of it

The Ministry of Transport returned to the idea of ​​creating a "passenger support reserve fund" in case of bankruptcy of airlines, the funds for which will be collected from passengers as an additional fee when buying tickets, Kommersant writes.

The agency told airlines in June that it was working on Rostec's proposal to launch a "national air transport settlement system" based on a single operator, JSC Aviagarant. The source of guarantee reserves should be the “regulated fee collected at the time of transportation”.

The state corporation "Kommersant" confirmed the discussion of the idea. They explained that the amount of the fee has not yet been approved, there are discussions with airlines. They also ruled out that the new fee would duplicate the existing one, which is entered into the Air Transport Settlement System (ATS, it is managed by TCH). The amount of this fee is 185 rubles.

Carriers have expressed concerns not only in connection with the duplication of fees, but also with rising prices for air tickets. According to the companies, the amount of the new fee will amount to 150-300 rubles, the increase in prices for flights will lead to a reduction in passenger traffic and other negative consequences for the aviation industry.

The source of the newspaper in Rostec said that the collection is needed to reimburse passengers in the event of a flight cancellation or in the event of bankruptcy of the airline. The interlocutor of the publication in the Ministry of Transport indicated that now the procedure for the actions of air carriers in the event of their financial difficulties is not prescribed. The new fee would help expedite customer refunds in case of force majeure, so that passengers do not have to wait for money for years. In addition, it could be to relieve part of the burden on the budget during massive flight cancellations (for example, as in the covid-19 pandemic ).

Discussions on the introduction of a new fee began last year. Then it was said that the funds from the fund would be spent in case of force majeure situations like the bankruptcy of airlines. It was noted that the fund "will be formed through the redistribution of fees established by the current legislation of the Russian Federation." However, then the Ministry of Transport abandoned this idea.

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