22 November 2016, Tuesday, 20:13 61

SBU, UkSATSE: Their Employees' Actions In Relation To Belavia Airliner Meet National And International Standards

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise (UkSATSE) believe that the actions of their employees in relation to a passenger airplane belonging to the Belavia airline were in line with domestic and international standards.

The SBU and UkSATSE stated this in statements in response to information requests from Ukrainian News Agency.

The SBU said that its employees did not issue instructions to air traffic controllers.

"There were no SBU employees in the control tower when the air traffic controller contacted the airplane and no additional instructions were issued. The SBU acted within its authority to ensure the safety of the country and its citizens," the SBU said in its response.

UkSATSE also said that it analyzed the situation and confirmed the air traffic controller acted in accordance with international practice.

Accordingly, disciplinary measures were not taken against UkSATSE's employees despite President Petro Poroshenko's assurances to Belarus that the people responsible for the incident "have already found and punished."

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Belarus has said that Poroshenko has apologized for the incident in which a Belavia airline passenger airplane flying on the Kyiv-Minsk route was forced to return to the Kyiv (Zhuliany) airport on October 21

Belarus sent a note of protest to Ukraine in connection with the incident.

In the protest note, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry stressed that Belarus was expecting an official apology and demanding reimbursement of all the financial costs and expenses caused by the actions of Ukraine.

The Belavia airline said that UkSATSE's air traffic controllers threatened to scramble Air Force fighter jets for force the aircraft to return to the airport.