The court has detained Maxim Kostylev, previously the head of flight operations at the Federal Air Transport Agency. The detention follows findings cited from the Investigative Committee. [Source: Investigative Committee]
Recent reports indicate Kostylev is suspected of accepting bribes connected to the management of Azur Air LLC, with the payments coming from unidentified individuals. The bribes allegedly included discounted travel arrangements for Kostylev and his family. [Source: Investigative Committee]
According to the publication, Kostylev traveled to Turkey in business class during the summer of 2021 and resided in a hotel owned by the chairman of Azur Air’s supervisory board. [Source: Investigative Committee]
Responding to these disclosures, the Federal Air Transport Agency acknowledged a limited number of violations within the airline’s operations. [Source: Federal Agency statement]
Earlier, Russian authorities opened a criminal case against individuals connected to Azur Air concerning bribery, specifically referencing part 5 of article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. [Source: Investigative Committee]
Prior to these events, the carrier formerly known as Aeroflot Airlines was reported to be preparing to launch additional flights from Moscow to the Far East in April. [Source: Public announcements]