The State Duma will consider the creation of air taxis in the Russian Federation

As Kommersant learned, the State Duma has developed bills to reduce the requirements for air taxis. The authors of the initiative propose to separate them into a separate category of aviation and partially abolish regulation, leaving safety control. According to the calculations of the project’s authors, this can reduce the cost of operating vessels by six times and attract lessors. Experts do not yet see mass demand for this service and believe that the development of small aviation should begin with the refinement of existing rules.

As Kommersant learned, the inter-factional working group on the development of small aviation in the State Duma has developed two bills that should facilitate the work of air taxis. It is proposed to separate this type of transport into an independent category of civil aviation, as well as introduce self-regulation in it. The draft amendments to the Air Code are now undergoing internal approval procedures, after which they will be sent to the Ministry of Transport, deputy Oleg Leonov confirmed to Kommersant.

There is no definition of air taxi in the legislation of the Russian Federation. Members propose to use the definition from the ICAO glossary: ​​“Non-scheduled flights on demand and short notice for the carriage by air of passengers, cargo or mail for remuneration, usually operated by small aircraft, including helicopters.” In the project, air taxis are understood as light aircraft (LAV): aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of up to 5.7 tons and helicopters up to 3.1 tons. According to various estimates, such vessels account for up to half of the 4.8 thousand aircraft in the register of the Federal Air Transport Agency. These are, for example, An-2, DHC-6, Cessna, as well as Bell 407 and Robinson R44 helicopters.

The authors of the initiative propose to abolish “excessive regulation”: certification of operators and aircraft, aviation training centers, maintenance centers and small airfields, and also reduce personnel requirements. It is proposed to transfer these functions to self-regulatory organizations (SROs), participation in which will be voluntary. It is understood that the Federal Air Transport Agency and other departments will retain supervisory and control functions, and air taxis will be subject to the transport safety law and compulsory liability insurance. But the SRO will monitor its participants, and “the balance between the level of flight safety and the availability of transport services” will be achieved through collective financial responsibility. The Ministry of Transport and the Federal Air Transport Agency did not comment on the initiative.

Now the requirements for air taxis are the same as “for a large airline with a fleet of long-haul aircraft operating international and interregional flights,” the explanatory note says. Both operators must form and bear the costs of the same management team, maintain equal documentation and reporting. FAP-10 requires the head of the airline to appoint officials in six key areas (maintaining airworthiness, aviation safety, ground handling, etc.). For light aviation, it is allowed to combine up to four functions, but the flight safety management system and quality management require separate performers. In addition, it is extremely difficult to find a manager who can competently take on three roles at once and report according to the rules, says Sergei Detenyshev, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Small Aviation Enterprises (MalAP). “It is economically impossible to support this staff on LAN income,” he believes. As a result, only those airlines that are either associated with the state or maintain LAN as an “appendage” to the mainline fleet remain in commercial transportation.

Currently in the Russian Federation there are 15 airlines with a license for commercial transportation, whose fleet has a LAN (59 units). At the same time, as stated in the explanatory note, these aircraft are dependent on foreign spare parts, and “the entire fleet will be taken out of service due to sanctions.” For comparison, data is provided for the United States, where more than 2 thousand operators operate more than 15.6 thousand light aircraft. There are more than 5.4 thousand airfields in the United States versus 200 in the Russian Federation.

In the Russian Federation, small aviation is primarily engaged in transporting officials and businessmen, notes Sergei Detenyshev. Most light aircraft are in the hands of private individuals; such aircraft will not be used en masse in taxis, he believes. The fleet should be replenished through the serial production of light aircraft such as SP-30, Sigma, Orlan helicopters and others existing in the Russian Federation. An important condition is also the production of piston engines, which delays the implementation of the project by 1.5–2 years. But it is more appropriate to start liberalizing requirements and moving to SRO now in order to attract business, including lessors, he says. According to MalAP calculations, the reform of small aviation will reduce the cost of a flight hour from the current 24 thousand rubles. on average up to 4 thousand rubles.

When talking about creating a new offer on the market, it is necessary to understand whether there is a demand for it; “air taxi remains an expensive type of transportation,” says HSE expert Fedor Borisov. The allocation of this type of transport seems inappropriate to him. Although Fyodor Borisov agrees that, based on risk-based approaches, it is necessary to abandon excessive requirements for GA, it would be wrong to completely abandon the regulation of light aviation. To begin with, she should be allowed to perform commercial aerial work based on clear and accessible rules. The discussion of air taxis, in his opinion, can be seriously considered when the production of aircraft and engines for them appears, since “there is currently no domestic equipment for the development of the project.”

Aigul Abdullina