The Russian Association of Air Transport Operators (AEVT) has asked the government to reduce taxes on domestic routes amid 28 billion ruble ($430 million) losses in the first half of 2015, the TASS news agency reported.
The AEVT wants the government to set goods and services taxes for domestic flights to zero percent, increase the government's excise duty on fuel and impose credit payment compensation for the carriers, TASS reported.
The carriers stress that their losses in the first half of 2015 had reached 28 billion rubles, with the downward trend in international travel remaining.
The AEVT also estimates 2015 industry losses from the ban on flights to Egypt at 9 billion rubles, citing this as one of the reasons it needs the government's aid.
The letter from the AEVT with the association's proposals has been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.
Last week, the Russian Tourism Industry Union reported 1.5 billion rubles in losses since flights to Egypt were suspended on Nov. 6, news agency Interfax said.
According to union spokeswoman Irina Tyurina, the losses resulted from tour operators being required to fly empty planes to Egypt to evacuate Russian tourists.
The suspension of flights to Egypt was announced on Nov. 6 by President Vladimir Putin after a Kogalymavia aircraft crash in the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31 resulted in the deaths of 224 people.
About 70,000 Russian tourists have been brought back from Egypt since the evacuation started, with around 5,000 more still remaining in the country's coastal resorts, an official from Rosturizm, Russia's tourist industry watchdog, said Monday, TASS reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
