Russia remains an important and valuable market for business aviation, says RUBAA vice president Evgeny Bakhtin. Between 2010 and 2013, the country witnessed a 35 to 40 per cent increase in business aircraft traffic and the number of aircraft purchased. This then dropped by between five and ten per cent from 2013 to 2016.

The first six months of 2017 indicate a stabilisation of the market, with some slight increases over 2016. Russian business aviation enterprises are optimistic for the future. Though it is difficult to predict at present, there is a good chance that market development will maintain its current level with increases on the horizon as we move forward.

Challenges

The system we have in Russia for issuing clearances for business aviation flights has been greatly improved over the past five years. While it is true that we do not meet the wishes of operators who want free and unlimited access, nowadays foreign business aviation operators are likely to obtain Russian airspace entry clearance within a few hours.

Our authorities are working on new regulations that will simplify private and corporate aircraft access to Russia by submitting an ICAO flight plan to ATC.

However, special requirements and limitations will continue to be placed on the domestic sector of business aircraft flight operations, in order to prevent the commercial use of business aircraft on dom- estic routes.

Successes

It is very hard to point out the most significant aviation success from the last three years, due to the general decline of the Russia business aviation market. However, one can remark on the investment that has taken place to improve FBO facilities at Moscow's Vnukovo and St Petersburg's Pulkovo airports, and Vnukovo-3/Vipport has recently qualified for IS-BAH accreditation.

Some of our operators have also been awarded an IS-BAO certificate, including Meridian Air Company, which achieved Stage III in May.

RUBAA is working to improve the general business climate for charter in Russia by keeping its members up-to-date with the latest market trends. We have conducted several seminars and conferences covering flight operation safety, airport infrastructure and regional airport development for business and general aviation. RUBAA members are actively in contact with the Russian aviation authorities to suggest changes and implement new rules and regulations.

The biggest misconception about the region is that there has been a deep fall in business aviation, and that it will experience a further fall. This is not the case.

It is our hope that the current stabilisation in the Russian business aviation market will transform into a smooth and steady improvement in the coming years, with a three to five per cent increase in both traffic and acquisitions.