Moscow begins reallocating Transaero's route permissions

The Russian Ministry of Transport has begun reallocating Transaero Airlines (UN, Moskow Vnukovo) route permissions as the airline's impending termination of operations on October 26 looms. 

In a statement to the TASS news agency, the ministry said it had granted the Aeroflot Group access to fifty-six out of the Transaero's 156 international routes for the period October 26, 2015 to October 30, 2016 with an added option to extend the authority should they prove economically viable. The remainder will be redistributed among other Russian carriers, it added. 

"The decision was made to issue a temporary authorization to Aeroflot Group of companies for 56 out of 156 international routes of Transaero for the purpose of ensuring air traffic continuity and preventing large-scale failures to carry passengers that bought tickets to Transaero flights," the statement said. 

Transaero's domestic routes will also be reallocated to other Russian carriers without prejudice.

Citing serious safety concerns and the parlous state of the airline's financial affairs, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) on Wednesday announced it would revoke Transaero's Air Operators Certificate (AOC) with effect from Monday, October 26.