Ukraine levies first fine over violation of Crimean airspace

“After the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine banned all airlines from taking off and landing from Simferopol Airport and closed airspace over the entire territory of the peninsula back in March 2014. Since then, the number of such violations has crossed the mark of 200,000 and none of them entailed any financial responsibility. And only now we have the first case of levying a fine with regard to the prohibition of the use of Ukraine’s airspace," the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook, citing the data of the State Aviation Administration.

According to the State Aviation Administration, on August 8, 2019, an aircraft of the Kazakstani joint-stock company Euro-Asia Air airlines performed a flight within the restricted area above the occupied peninsula, after which a decision was made to levy a fine over the civil aviation offense of November 7, 2019.

"Unlike Russian airlines, which daily operate about hundred take-offs and landings in Crimea and stubbornly do not pay fines, Kazakhstan’s airlines pleaded guilty and paid these funds voluntarily," the Ministry informs.

The amount of fines over the violation of airspace in Crimea by civilian aircraft of Russian airlines alone has already reached UAH 13 billion. "Therefore, the State Aviation Administration hopes that the case of the Kazakstani airline will become a precedent and entail the process of paying fines by Russians," the State Aviation Administration summed up.

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