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Dalavia Company, which manages the Khabarovsk airport, recently announced its decision not to host planes of foreign production until the spring of 2008 on its airfield, stirring comments about unfair competition from the affected airlines.

Several airlines, including S7 and TransAiro, stated that they had received telegrams from Dalavia saying that foreign planes cannot be serviced in Khabarovsk because they do not possess the necessary safety equipment, news reports said. The airlines said Dalavia’s decision not to service foreign planes had a flavor of unfair competition.

According to spokesman for S7 Airlines Igor Volkov, on October 26 the company received a telegram from Dalavia informing about restrictions on foreign planes. “We have sold all tickets for Moscow-Khabarovsk flights on French-produced A-310 jets, and we have received all documents from RosAviatsia (Russian Aviation) allowing us to operate such flights,” Volkov said, Ria Novosti reported. “Khabarovsk airport is certified to service such flights and we consider the decision a sign of unfair competition,” Volkov added.

Representative for TransAiro Airlines Sergei Byhal said that the restrictions introduced by Dalavia will harm the image of Khabarovsk’s airport as a planned hub for Russian Far East air travel. “What is it – the airport declines to accept foreign planes because of an absence of safety equipment? We hope that in the nearest future the reasons for this decision will be revealed,” Byhal told Ria Novosti. TransAiro uses Tu-214 and Boeing-767 planes to perform flights from Khabarovsk to other cities.

The Russian Transportation Ministry is currently considering the situation and the limitations will be removed within the next two days, officials said, RIA Novosti reported. Dalavia has not released an official comment on the situation.

In 2005 the Khabarovsk airport was divided between Dalavia Company, which owns airport’s property, including the runways, and the Khabarovsk Airport Company, which takes care of building and fueling the planes.