Stranded passengers at Sheremetyevo not to pay luggage locker fees.

MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - Passengers stranded at Terminal F of
Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport following icy rains during the weekend, will
not pay luggage locker fees.
"This measure was approved by the airport leadership in order to offer
additional help to citizens," the press service of the international
airport told Tass. Sources said that in order to leave luggage at baggage
lockers passengers would have to produce the document confirming the delay
of their flight - a flight ticket with a special mark on it.
The sources say passengers continue receiving free meals and cold
drinks and juices for children. Coolers have been installed for them and
they receive bottled drinking water.
The leadership of the airport work at the airport, staying in touch
with passengers, informing them about the flights ready for the takeoff
and organizing essential services.
Icy rains during the weekend caused a blackout at Moscow's Domodedovo
airport that stopped flights on Sunday. It resumed flights on Monday after
getting a backup power supply, but hundreds of passengers are still
stranded. Dozens of flights have also been delayed at Sheremetyevo.

.Moscow's Domodedovo airport expected back to normal shortly.

MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - Moscow's Domodedovo Airport is
expected back to normal operations within the next few hours. The
functioning of the airport was disrupted last Sunday because of a blackout
caused by an icy rain.
As a result, the airport stopped operating for almost 12 hours, and
flight delays were tremendous. "All in all over 200 flights were delayed
on December 26 and 27," airport spokeswoman Yelena Galanova said.
At the present moment four flights remain on the list of delayed: two
flights due on December 26 (New York and Anadyr) and two - on December 27
(Akta and Urgench). These planes are expected to take off shortly.
All in all, the international airport has received and sent over 460
planes over the past 24 hours. Airport sources said 30 planes take off
every hour. Domodedovo typically runs some 700 flights per day.
When the situation gets back to normal fully, specialists will
seriously look into what happened. It is clear now that the existing
system of backup power supply did not work well and maybe additional
generator units will be installed, Galanova said.
In any case, the Domodedovo authorities seek to do all to avoid such
situations in the future.
Shortages of de-icing fluid at Moscow's second airport, Sheremetyevo,
also grounded about half of its flights. Other Moscow airports have also
seen traffic cut after the freezing rain on Sunday.

.An-22 plane of Russian Air Force crashes, 11 pilots killed.

MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - An An-22 plane of the Russian Air
Force has crashed on the border between Russia's Tula and Oryol regions.
All 11 pilots on board were killed, a source from a law enforcement agency
reported.
"There were 11 pilots on board the plane - the main and backup crews.
They were all killed," the source said.
A source from the Russian Defence Ministry's information department
said the plane had been flying from Voronezh to Tver. It disappeared from
radar screens at about 21:30 Moscow time on Tuesday.
"The search for the plane and the crew is in progress," the source
said. An-22 Antei has the crew of five to six people. The heavy transport
aircraft can airlift up to 290 soldiers or 150 paratroopers or four units
of heavy equipment.

.Pres to take part in Cabinet of Ministers' final session for 2010.

MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
will arrive on Wednesday at the Government House to take part in the
Cabinet of Ministers' final session for 2010.
It is expected that by that time, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will
have held a session of the government presidium, which brings together the
deputy prime ministers and key ministers of the Cabinet.
The president arrives at the main government residence at least once a
year - to sum up the results of Cabinet's work during the year. There were
cases when the president all of a sudden arrived at the Government House
to discuss with the ministers a pressing problem facing the country or
announce some strategic decisions.
This happened in September 2007, when the then president, Vladimir
Putin, arrived at about midnight to announce reshuffles in the government
led at the moment by Viktor Zubkov.
Dmitry Medvedev will come to the Government House for the second time.
A year ago he thanked Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the ministers for
their efforts to overcome the crisis in 2009.
This time, it is expected that the president will wish his colleagues
a Happy New Year, will assess the government's activity this year and will
outline the main tasks facing it in 2011.
-0-zhe/


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