MINSK, 2 November (BelTA) – The Belarusian air carrier Belavia expects to reach a settlement with Ukraine over the incident with the forced return of its aircraft to Zhulyany Airport soon, Belavia Director General Anatoly Gusarov told reporters, BelTA has learned.
“We are working with Ukrainian colleagues to determine the size of compensation. This issue will be settled soon,” Anatoly Gusarov said and noted that the Ukrainian side agreed to pay compensation. “Its size is the only issue remaining,” he said. “We are calculating the sum and negotiating: they agreed to take up some expenses, i.e. they are not billing us. When the sum is finally determined, the cost of the damage will be established. But I can say that the sum will not be big,” Anatoly Gusarov said.
Anatoly Gusarov stated that the incident with forced return of the Belavia aircraft to Zhulyany Airport on 21 October does not fit into the framework of the international aviation law. “What happened is beyond the scope of the international aviation law clearly described in the relevant documents. But our colleagues in Ukraine see the situation differently. Comments on what happened were already given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Civil Aviation. We are grateful to the crew, who, in a stressful situation, calm, and ensured, competently and fully, the safety of the flight and passengers,” he said.
BelTA reported earlier that on 21 October 2016, Belavia Boeing 737-800, carrying out flight V2-840 from Zhulyany (Kiev) to Minsk, was forced to return to the departure airport. There were 136 passengers and six crew members on board. The plane took off from Zhulyany Airport at 15.25. At 15.36, when the plane was a mere 50 kilometers from the Belarusian border, the aircraft's pilot received an order from a traffic controller from the Kiev District division of the Ukrainian state air traffic control enterprise UkSATSE, to immediately head back, with no further explanation. It was also stated that if the order was not fulfilled, fighter jets would be sent into the air. The commander of the aircraft fulfilled the order and started to descend at 15.37. At 15.55 the Belarusian plane landed at Zhulyany International Airport. Upon landing, one of the passengers, an Armenian citizen, was taken off the flight by Ukrainian law enforcement. After the refueling the plane took off and landed at Minsk National Airport at 17.33. The passenger who was taken off the flight was later released and left Kiev for Minsk at 19.00. The Belarusian air carrier said it would request compensation incurred as a result of the actions of the Ukrainian authorities. Belavia offered an apology to its passengers for the inconvenience.
On 22 October, Belarus' Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Charge d'affaires of Ukraine to Belarus Valery Dzhigun. The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission was given a note of protest to the Ukrainian authorities over the forced return of the aircraft that was performing a regular flight V2-840 on the route Kiev-Minsk on 21 October. The note emphasizes that the Belarusian side expects an official apology and seeks compensation for all financial costs and expenses incurred as a result of the actions of the Ukrainian authorities.
Belarusian Ambassador to Ukraine Igor Sokol was also instructed to submit a similar note of protest to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
