On February 29, 2020, the mandatory licensing of commercial activity by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs operating in civil aviation in Russia has been abolished. Previously, a license was required to conduct commercial carriage of passengers and/or cargo by air.

Russian legal entities and individual entrepreneurs engaged in commercial air carriage of passengers and/or cargo are no longer required to obtain a license. The confusing requirement of the Russian Air Code that foreign aviation enterprises operating in Russia must obtain similar licenses has also been abolished.

But the certification of air carriers remains in place and receipt of an Air Operator Certificate is still required for airline operations. Concurrent licensing and certification were sometimes seen as duplicative and unnecessarily burdensome.

As a result, new Russian carriers should be able to start operations more quickly, without any additional set-up or paperwork necessary for the license or extra waiting time. Operating airlines no longer need to comply with license terms and thereby risk liability or license withdrawal. This amendment represents a positive step towards making the Russian aviation regulatory framework more efficient.