Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday ordered his government to shut down unreliable airlines after 43 people were killed in a chartered plane crash that wiped out a top hockey team. The decision came as the nation mourned the latest in a string of deadly air accidents that earlier saw Medvedev request the removal from operations of Russia’s older Soviet-era jets. A Kremlin spokeswoman said Medvedev instructed his government to draft measures by November 15 that would let the authorities “discontinue the operations of air carriers incapable of ensuring flight safety”.
A separate set of proposals to be submitted for parliamentary approval in December would raise penalties for air safety violations and allow inspectors to ground dangerous planes without court orders. Medvedev also told his government to subsidise charter carriers that pass certification and provide additional financial assistance to regional carriers as the number of airlines shrinks.