OREANDA-NEWS. November 16, 2011. The office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Saratov region has refused to satisfy UTair Aviation claims against violations of antimonopoly legislation on the part of Saratov Airlines, issuing a ruling favoring the local airport monopolist.

As the sole owner of the Saratov Central Airport, Saravia Airlines stands alone as the only carrier in the region and does not allow any form of competition. After delaying the case for a year with paperwork and ignoring several proposals for cooperation from UTair, Saravia gained support for their monopoly from none other than the local FAS office. Taking the side of a local company, the FAS management issued ruling clearing the carrier of any offense, ignoring the opinion residents and visitors to Saratov frustrated by Saravia's pricing and the lack of alternative carriers in the region.

UTair Aviation plans to appeal the ruling with the Federal Antimonopoly Service and is confident that, despite this situation, an objective solution to the matter will be found.