Senator Rubio asks US FAA to review safety of Russia airlines

Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday asked the US FAA to conduct a safety review of Russian airlines and alert Americans to the risks of Russian-administered aircraft still operating in international airspace. Sanctions imposed by Europe, the United States and others over the invasion of Ukraine have denied Russia access to new planes, spare parts and maintenance services and forced its aviation industry to cut back on flights. “So long as Russian airlines maintain such operations, they pose a potential threat to international travelers, as well as to Russians flying domestically,” Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote. “Many Russian airlines have attempted to evade stringent U.S. export controls, continuing to operate flights to Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, and elsewhere even after being blacklisted.” The FAA did not immediately comment but in April downgraded its air safety rating for Russia, saying the country’s Federal Agency for Air Transport was not complying with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards.<br/>