Pegasus Asia (Bishkek) has been barred by the Russian authorities from using its wet-leased B737-800s on flights to Russia. According to Central Asian Aero News, the Russians had objected to the terms under which the aircraft were being operated - in this case as a wet-lease from Turkish parent, Pegasus Airlines (PC, Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen).
The B737-800s were to have been deployed on flights from Bishkek to Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo and Perm Bolshoye Savino but, airline spokesman Ermek Omuraliev said, had now been replaced by the airline's other equipment - an in-house B737-400. The resultant cut in available capacity has badly affected the airline's domestic services to Osh International, he added.
"Using assistance from the Civil Aviation Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Transport and the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Russian Federation, we are working on getting permission. The fact is that there are no any rules prohibiting something on this point. I will fly to Moscow today to discuss this issue," Omuraliev said.
