Fewer accidents in Russia

Fewer accidents were registered in Russia last year than in 2002, Alexander Neradko, First Deputy Minister of Transportation, was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

“The past year saw 7 minor malfunctions and 2 air crashes, which took the lives of 27 people,” the official said. “Investigation revealed that 6 incidents took place on account of the human factor and 3 were cases of technical breakdowns.” At present there are 210 air companies in Russia, 23 of which account for over 85% of the air transportation market