The regional and federal authorities commented upon the antisocial actions of Koltsovo airport management that led to a delay of Ural Airlines morning flight to Moscow and inconvenienced 250 passengers on November 13, 2006.

Sverdlovsk Region Government was quick to respond: it has already issued a provision that classes the actions of the airport management and staff as ‘violating the legislation of the aviation branch’ and ‘contradicting the state policy on mergers of carriers aimed at enhancing the flight safety.’

The regional authorities suggested that Koltsovo airport restore the so-called historic slots of Ural Airlines (morning and evening flights) and give this company the right to priority slots in future, as this carrier ‘is particularly important for all the social strata of the region; it also is the most reliable in terms of state guarantees.’

The cooperation crisis between Koltsovo Airport and Ural Airlines was responded to at the federal level as well. Alexander Yurchik, the Head of the Federal Air Service Agency, sent a direction to Koltsovo Airport on November 14, 2006, ordering it to provide for ‘take-offs, landings and maintenance of Ural Airlines airplanes flying from Yekaterinburg to Moscow,’ reports the spokesperson for Ural Airlines.