What happens at the Saratov airport after the prohibition of flights of a local airline

The Federal Air Transport Agency canceled the certificate of the Saratov Airlines operator since May 31. As stated on the carrier’s website, “there are fewer airlines in Russia.” According to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the reason for the ban on flights was unsatisfactory results of inspections conducted after the An-148 February crash. More than 70 thousand tickets were sold on the airline’s flights before the end of October. Until June 13, inclusive of Saravia passengers (this is about 8.7 thousand people) will carry other airlines. The department is negotiating with Aeroflot, Siberia, UTair, Redwing, Nordavia, etc. Passengers having tickets with departure after the specified date are recommended to contact the Saratov carrier to return the money.

A young couple stands in confusion in front of the terminal. Daria and Alexander planned on July 13 to fly away from here to Simferopol, for the first time to take out children to the sea. “I have seen enough of this advertisement,” Daria nods at a blue billboard, promising direct flights to the Black Sea resorts. - We rarely fly, I'm afraid. They thought whether to go by car, but this is a couple of days, if with stops, and the children are still small. On the plane - two hours twenty minutes. " For four tickets, the couple gave 35 thousand rubles in early May.

A week after the purchase, the first alarming messages appeared (as the Novye already said, on May 17 the leadership of the Saratov Airlines announced the stop of work in connection with the actions of the Federal Air Transport Agency, but on May 18 the carrier assured passengers that “all obligations will be fulfilled in full”). Young people immediately went to the airport to rent tickets, but then at the checkout they were convinced to wait. Today it turned out that there was nothing more to wait.

Four cash desks work in the building. The queues are large, but move quickly. “We would love to give you money, but there is no official order. Leave a written application for a refund, ”the curly blonde from the window holds out the form.

“You see, I live and work in Moscow, I came here to my mother!” - The failed passenger Vyacheslav almost screams. Yesterday, at this box office he bought a ticket to the capital for 7900 rubles.

“If I didn’t turn on the TV this morning, by 20.00 I would have come here on a flight, which is not!”

The cashier, trying to speak in a calm voice, explains that the tickets were sold to the last, since the situation “We became aware of yesterday at 17.00”. “How can I leave Saratov? I have no money!" - Vyacheslav is indignant. “Everyone has no money here,” the cashier circles the crowd with his hand. "Who will provide me with a hotel and food?!" “Who can provide you this? A company that no longer exists?! " - Finally, the interlocutor is out of himself. He takes out his mobile phone, closing his eyes, says the tube: "A little more, and I will die here."

A tanned brunette in a lemon shirt is pushed to the window. It seems to Albert. He has two tickets in Sochi there and back for 27 thousand rubles for July. He does not want to fill out an application for a refund. “I don't need money. I want to fly away. My hotel has already been paid, the reservation is not returned. I watched neighboring airports. There are no longer tickets from Volgograd. The last two remained from Samara. ”

"The feeling that Saratov was imprisoned, cut off from the whole world!"

Svetlana comes up - a well -groomed woman in a blue dress with an elegant handbag. Her husband flew to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on May 22, was supposed to return through Moscow to Saratov on June 1. “The tickets were bought in March. Today I opened the news and found out that he would not fly back. In the morning I tried to get into the hotline of the Saratov Airlines, but no one wants to talk to us: I listened to the answering machine for 40 minutes. ” According to Svetlana, the air ticket Moscow - Saratov cost 5800 rubles. Today she needs to have time to buy a train ticket for 6 thousand for her husband, and it is not known whether there are free places. “The flight from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Moscow lasts 8.5 hours. If he sat on the plane before Saratov, then an hour later he would be at home. ”

"Does anyone know how to return electronic tickets?" - the guy in the White T -shirt turns to the queue. No written instructions for customers are posted on the walls of the hall. A tiny, a quarter of A4 sheet, announces a declaration with reference to the order of the Federal Air Transport Agency, in which excited people cannot understand anything can understand anything. The Saravia website states that "the return of air tickets will be carried out in accordance with Article 8.2" The procedure for making claims of the carrier's rules ", which can be found in the tab to passengers, the rules of the carrier." Having found the desired tab, you can find out that "the return of the amounts completely or partially for the unused transportation section is made at the place of purchase of the ticket within one year from the date of issue."

Television appears at the doorway door. The employee in the blue uniform comes out, asks to stop the shooting of a regime object. Having finally seeing one of the company, except for cashiers, passengers rush to her. “No need to believe the rumors from the Internet. The only reliable source of information is the Federal Air Transport Agency. All clarifications instantly appear the Saratov Airlines website, ”the employee repeats wearily.

Some people did not hear anything about what was happening with the Saratov air carrier and came to buy tickets today.

Two lines are shining on the airport’s scoreboard - Aeroflot flies from Saratov to Moscow twice a day at 12.30 and 19.30. There are no other carriers left here.

Prior to the ban on Saravia, she daily executed four flights to Moscow, flew three times a week to St. Petersburg, from June 1 flights were to open in Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Simferopol, Antalya and Thessaloniki. The company also works in other cities of the Volga region, in Siberia, in the Far East. In total, more than 40 routes are served. Last year, 796 thousand passengers were transported.

He flew away without promising to return

Recall that in February of this year, the An-148 “Saratov Airlines”, flying from Moscow to Orsk, crashed in the suburbs. All 65 passengers and six crew members were killed. Specialists of the Interstate Aviation Committee concluded that the cause of the disaster could be icing of speed sensors.

In March, the Federal Air Transport Agency ordered Saratov carriers to suspend the An-148 flights. In early April, the head of the agency, Alexander Neudko, suggested that the company voluntarily abandon the operator’s certificate and “focus on airport activities”. On April 25, the department introduced the limitation of the certificate of the Saratov Airlines operator until May 30.

On May 17, without waiting for the official removal of restrictions, Saravia spread the solemn news about rebranding (flights were supposed to continue under the Ivolga Airlines trademark) and replenishment of the fleet: in Saratov, with the invitation of journalists and bloggers, they met a new Embraer. On the same day, the carrier came a letter of the Federal Air Transport Agency for the suspension of ticket sales from May 30. The leadership of the "Saratov Airlines" announced the cancellation of flights and the possible closure of the only airport in the region, all buildings in the territory of which the company owned. But on May 18, this news disappeared from the corporate site. The new message said that “the board of directors makes every effort aimed at maintaining the airline, including the activities of the Saratov Central Saratov International Airport.

Last weekend, the company visited the enterprise. According to sources, the controllers noted “giant efforts” attached to the elimination of previously discovered shortcomings. Representatives of the carrier hoped for a favorable outcome. However, in the evening of May 29, messages about the ban on flights appeared in the media. At the same time, there were no official statements from the regulator to the company. The Lessor GecaS demanded the return of the airliners.

On the night of May 30, the Embraer aircraft in the new livery Ivolga Airlines, festively met in Saratov two weeks ago, flew back to France. The board did not have time to make a single flight.

PS

While preparing the material, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation announced negotiations with the shareholder of the Saratov Airlines Arkady Evstafiev. According to the agency, the Saratov Airlines will return money for tickets within 14 days. During the day, the procedure for issuing returns and the address of representative offices will be determined. According to the Ministry of Transport, "the shareholder is expressed in an interest in creating a new carrier in order to preserve the labor collective."

At the same time, “Saratov Airlines” submitted information about the planned release from August 30, 998 people out of 1003 employed at the enterprise.