Business & Commercial Aviation

It sure is, and we are talking about the fees assessed against operators visiting Moscow’s three principal international airports for landings, ground services, parking and related services: Vnukovo (UUWW), Domodedovo (UUDD) and Sheremetyevo (UUEE). BCA has come into possession of invoices from visits of business aircraft to each airport during late 2018 and early 2019. Here’s what we found.

In September 2018, one Gulfstream operator visited Vnukovo for three days. Among (but not all of) the charges were the landing fee of $588, a “terminal passenger fee” of $1,925, parking fee of $1,844, aircraft “guarding fee” of $335, passenger luggage clearance fee of $314, lav purging fee of $376, “traffic handling” fee of $530, towing charge of $333, ramp handling fee of $567, a catering bill of $541 and passenger transport charge of $379. Along with miscellaneous ancillary charges, this visit totaled $9,544.14.

Over at Domodedovo in November 2018, another Gulfstream, again visiting for three days, racked up a $1,004 landing fee and security charge, $1,080 for parking, a $2,392 passenger arrival and departure fee, a $3,947 hangar fee (which must have supplemented parking for one night), handling fees of $2,057, a single airside pass for $155, a $753 towing bill, a catering (one expensive meal) fee of $868, and a crew visa charge of $835. This and other charges came to a total of $14,898.

Finally, in January this year, a Bombardier Global Express visited Sheremetyevo, remaining for five days. This operator was docked $2,985 for parking, passenger (four) fees totaling $2,225, $796 for “airdrome security,” $1,220 for “traffic handling” (possibly, a navigation charge), $482 for ramp services, a $1,115 charge for handling, $1,366 for deicing fluid, $772 for one crew visa, a $542 “commercial fee,” $277 for crew transportation, an “urgent landing permit” fee of $355, plus a $114 “permit revision.” All this plus ancillary fees totaled $15,527.