To collect money from Russian tourists for each flight on an airplane – according to Kommersant, the Ministry of Transport returned to such a “fresh” and “original” idea at the suggestion of Rostec. Tourists have to pay a new tax to “save the drowning” with the help of their not too fat wallets: officially it is declared as a fee in case of bankruptcy or emergency flight cancellations. The amount of the fee has not yet been determined. However, airline experts believe that it will be at least 150-300 rubles. Moreover, they are more likely to oppose its introduction – the new fee will lead to an increase in the cost of tickets, and the benefits of it are not obvious, and experts immediately cite the idea of the Tourist Assistance Fund as a negative example.
“The Ministry of Transport has returned to the idea of an additional fee from air passengers when issuing tickets, which has been discussed since 2021. We are talking about creating a “passenger support reserve fund” in case of bankruptcy of airlines,” Kommersant reports. The agency told air carriers that it was working on Rostec’s initiative to create a “national system of mutual settlements in air transport” based on a single operator, JSC Aviagarant. And it is precisely the source of guarantee reserves that will be the “regulated fee levied upon registration of transportation”. At the same time, Rostec says that the initiative is indeed being discussed, but “comments are premature until specific decisions are made.”
“Rostec's initiative concerns the introduction of an additional fee when registering transportation to create a reserve that guarantees passengers a refund. But the additional fee will somehow lead to an increase in the cost of transportation for the passenger, ”commented experts from the airline. At the same time, some interviewed experts believe that the fee will be at least 150-200 rubles. per passenger, and some said that the possibility of transferring 300 rubles to the fund was being discussed. per passenger.
“The creation of the fund will inevitably lead to an increase in the cost of air tickets and a reduction in passenger traffic, which will eventually affect not only the business of airlines, but also the aviation industry, as it will lead to a decrease in orders for new domestic aircraft. The obligations of airlines and responsibility for their non-fulfillment are already enshrined in the Air and Civil Codes,” another carrier emphasizes.
The creators of the idea, referring to the experience of the bankruptcies of Transaero and VIM-Avia, when tourists were waiting for a refund of the year, assure that “the fund will simplify and speed up the return of passengers' money in case of force majeure”, and it should also help reduce the burden on budget in situations with massive flight cancellations, as in covid, or in the case of sanctions “export” flights.
“But experience shows that the industry cannot cope with massive flight cancellations with the help of reserve funds,” commented for “Kommersant” senior director for corporate ratings “Expert RA” Igor Smirnov. And as an example, he cited the experience of tourism – namely, the useless funds of “Tourist Assistance”. “Debt to customers for travel canceled during the COVID-19 amounted to 5 billion rubles in the spring of 2023, according to various estimates. due to the lack of reserves of the Tourist Assistance Fund. With such “general collapses”, it is impossible to cover all expenses with preventive fees from passengers,” the expert added.
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