US and British military personnel stranded in Siberia after surveillance plane grounded.

[dipsydoodle]

The US aircraft was making a routine surveillance flight over Siberia as part of the Open Skies Treaty. On board are 30 military personnel, believed to be from both the US and Britain, say Russian media accounts. The aircraft has been due to land in Ulan-Ude but was forced down in Chita early on Thursday because of heavy fog.

'The plane will not leave Chita until the crew pays the technical service and refuelling bills,' said Alexei Turskov, of Chita airport. 'There are 15 people on the Boeing. They spent the night in the cabin,' he said.

>

The Open Skies Treaty, which entered into force on 1 January 2002, established a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its 34 member states to promote openness and transparency of military forces and activities. Russia ratified the treaty in May 2001. One RIA Novosti report said the crew of the Boeing aircraft were undergoing migration and border control.

Foreign observation planes flying over Russia have the right to land at only two airports in the country: one in Moscow Region, and one outside the Siberian city of Ulan Ude, said the news agency. On humanitarian grounds, a room with amenities and a hot meal were provided for the crew at Chita airport. There was no immediate comment from the US or British authorities.

http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/us-and-british-military-personnel-stranded-in-siberia-after-surveillance-plane-grounded/

[Laelth]

1. No big deal, it appears. Good treaty. n/t

-Laelth

[MADem]

2. They've left, finally. Someone must have wired the dough, or they found a chit on the plane.

U.S. Treaty Verification Reconnaissance Plane Stranded in Siberia for 2 Days
November 1, 2013

Stranded US Surveillance Plane Departs From Siberian Airport

RIA Novosti

November 1, 2013

MOSCOW, November 1 (RIA Novosti) – A US surveillance plane carrying US and British military personnel took off from an airport in southern Siberia on Friday after being stranded there for two nights over poor weather conditions and unpaid fees.

The US plane, making a routine flight over Russia under the international Open Skies treaty, was forced down in Chita on Wednesday because of heavy fog.

Visibility later improved but the Boeing plane and its crew were not permitted to continue their flight because they hadn’t paid airport servicing fees, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The aircraft with some 30 people on board, including military personnel from the UK and US, finally took off from the airport on Friday. The plane had originally been scheduled to fly to the neighboring Russian city of Ulan-Ude, but changed its course for an unspecified reason Friday, heading to Anchorage, Alaska, reports said....

http://www.matthewaid.com/post/65682315217/u-s-treaty-verification-reconnaissance-plane-stranded