The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) has issued a memo warning the country’s airlines to not respond to polls sent by international organizations.
“Rosaviatsiya informs about the possibility of receiving forms/questionnaires from international professional unions and associations, including IATA, with the apparent goal of collecting data on the situation of the aviation company in the context of the pressure of sanctions on the Russian Federation from unfriendly states,” the memo states.
“In the case such an appeal and an attached form is received, we ask you not to disclose any kind of information on the current activities of the company, its state and not to respond to the aforementioned appeals. We ask you to inform Rosaviatsiya about such appeals immediately.”
The memo is signed by Alexander Neradko, the head of Rosaviatsiya.
The memo comes as the Russian aviation sector continues to experience a significant downturn owing to sanctions imposed on the country as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
International flights by Russian airlines all but stopped due to airspace closures and the unavailability of aircraft, while the lack of aircraft parts is likely to take its toll on domestic flights.
Meanwhile, Russian airlines and airports have been furloughing workers in their thousands. The full extent of the financial impact that the war has had on the Russian aviation industry is as yet unclear.