Medvedev in plea for air industry overhaul
Source: Agencies |
September 9, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
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PRESIDENT Dmitry Medvedev called for immediate changes in Russia's troubled aviation industry yesterday - including sharply reducing the number of airlines - as the country mourned a crash that killed 43 people and devastated a top ice hockey team.
The crash on Wednesday killed 36 players, coaches and staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, including European and former NHL players, drawing new attention to the poor air safety record in Russia and other former Soviet republics.
Experts blame the problems on an aging fleet, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality.
Investigators could not immediately pinpoint what caused the Yak-42 jet to crash into the banks of the Volga River shortly after takeoff from Yaroslavl, 240 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Workers were yesterday raising the plane's shattered tail section, site of one of the plane's on-board recorders.
The plane crashed on the opening day of an international forum that was to showcase Yaroslavl as a modern and vibrant Russian city.
Medvedev laid flowers at the crash site yesterday and met officials, and later opened his speech at the forum by calling for a moment of silence to commemorate the victims.
"The number of air companies should be radically reduced and it's necessary to do this within the shortest time," Medvedev said in comments broadcast on Russian television.
Experts say that smaller carriers sometimes lack funds to properly maintain their fleet and tend to cut corners on safety.
Some hockey fans are laying the blame for the crash on Medvedev's forum, which was held in the Lokomotiv arena, making it impossible for the team to play its first game of the season at home.
Among the chants shouted by the couple of thousand mourning fans who gathered outside the arena on Wednesday night were "Down with the summit" and "The summit is guilty." Forum participants were even told to take off their forum badges before heading into town yesterday.
It was not immediately clear what measures the government could take to cut the number of airlines, many of which are small, regional operations. Transport Minister Igor Levitin told Medvedev there are about 130 air carriers in Russia, but 85 percent of passengers are carried by just 10 companies.
Yesterday, hundreds of people gathered at the city's Russian Orthodox cathedral to mourn the victims.
The crashed jet was built in 1993 and one of its three engines was replaced a month ago, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov said.
It is unclear whether technical failure played a role in the crash, but the plane apparently struggled to gain altitude and then hit a signal tower before breaking apart.
Okulov said federal transportation authorities are considering whether to halt flights by the 57 Yak-42s still in service.
The two survivors - player Alexander Galimov and crew member Alexander Sizov - were both said to be in a grave condition. They were flown to Moscow for treatment.
Among the dead were Lokomotiv coach and National Hockey League veteran Brad McCrimmon, a Canadian; assistant coach Alexander Karpovtsev, one of the first Russians to have his name on the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers; and Pavol Demitra, who played for the St Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks and was the Slovakian national team captain.
Other standouts killed were Czech players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek, Swedish goalie Stefan Liv, Latvian defenseman Karlis Skrastins and defenseman Ruslan Salei of Belarus.
Medvedev had previously announced plans to take aging Soviet planes out of service from next year. The Yak-42 has been flying since 1980.
In the Czech Republic, hundreds of mostly young people honored the victims yesterday at the Old Town Square in the heart of Prague.
Wearing Czech national jerseys and carrying Czech flags, they lighted candles around a simple impromptu monument formed by two ice hockey sticks and chanted the names of the three Czech victims. Some signed condolences books for them.
"The winners forever," one entry read.
"It's a tragedy," said Petr Kubalek, 28, from Prague. "That's all I can say. I knew Marek personally. Rachunek was one of the top defensemen."
The crash is one of the worst aviation disasters in sports history.
The crash on Wednesday killed 36 players, coaches and staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, including European and former NHL players, drawing new attention to the poor air safety record in Russia and other former Soviet republics.
Experts blame the problems on an aging fleet, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality.
Investigators could not immediately pinpoint what caused the Yak-42 jet to crash into the banks of the Volga River shortly after takeoff from Yaroslavl, 240 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Workers were yesterday raising the plane's shattered tail section, site of one of the plane's on-board recorders.
The plane crashed on the opening day of an international forum that was to showcase Yaroslavl as a modern and vibrant Russian city.
Medvedev laid flowers at the crash site yesterday and met officials, and later opened his speech at the forum by calling for a moment of silence to commemorate the victims.
"The number of air companies should be radically reduced and it's necessary to do this within the shortest time," Medvedev said in comments broadcast on Russian television.
Experts say that smaller carriers sometimes lack funds to properly maintain their fleet and tend to cut corners on safety.
Some hockey fans are laying the blame for the crash on Medvedev's forum, which was held in the Lokomotiv arena, making it impossible for the team to play its first game of the season at home.
Among the chants shouted by the couple of thousand mourning fans who gathered outside the arena on Wednesday night were "Down with the summit" and "The summit is guilty." Forum participants were even told to take off their forum badges before heading into town yesterday.
It was not immediately clear what measures the government could take to cut the number of airlines, many of which are small, regional operations. Transport Minister Igor Levitin told Medvedev there are about 130 air carriers in Russia, but 85 percent of passengers are carried by just 10 companies.
Yesterday, hundreds of people gathered at the city's Russian Orthodox cathedral to mourn the victims.
The crashed jet was built in 1993 and one of its three engines was replaced a month ago, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov said.
It is unclear whether technical failure played a role in the crash, but the plane apparently struggled to gain altitude and then hit a signal tower before breaking apart.
Okulov said federal transportation authorities are considering whether to halt flights by the 57 Yak-42s still in service.
The two survivors - player Alexander Galimov and crew member Alexander Sizov - were both said to be in a grave condition. They were flown to Moscow for treatment.
Among the dead were Lokomotiv coach and National Hockey League veteran Brad McCrimmon, a Canadian; assistant coach Alexander Karpovtsev, one of the first Russians to have his name on the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers; and Pavol Demitra, who played for the St Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks and was the Slovakian national team captain.
Other standouts killed were Czech players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek, Swedish goalie Stefan Liv, Latvian defenseman Karlis Skrastins and defenseman Ruslan Salei of Belarus.
Medvedev had previously announced plans to take aging Soviet planes out of service from next year. The Yak-42 has been flying since 1980.
In the Czech Republic, hundreds of mostly young people honored the victims yesterday at the Old Town Square in the heart of Prague.
Wearing Czech national jerseys and carrying Czech flags, they lighted candles around a simple impromptu monument formed by two ice hockey sticks and chanted the names of the three Czech victims. Some signed condolences books for them.
"The winners forever," one entry read.
"It's a tragedy," said Petr Kubalek, 28, from Prague. "That's all I can say. I knew Marek personally. Rachunek was one of the top defensemen."
The crash is one of the worst aviation disasters in sports history.
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