No air taxi flights over residential areas in Moscow

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MOSCOW, August 22 (RIA Novosti, Mikhail Turgiyev) - Air taxis will not operate over residential areas in Moscow, an Atlant-Soyuz official said.

Atlant-Soyuz is a company that is responsible for the development and implementation of the Moscow air taxi program.

Konstantin Zorin said the taxi flights would be conducted over non-residential areas and rivers at an altitude of less than 900 meters for safety reasons and would involve only helicopters.

According to the official, the project calls for the construction of 20 helicopter pads on top of multi-story parking lots and commercial centers in the capital. Some of the pads will be built on rivers where they would not obstruct navigation.

"In all, two to three flights will be conducted from each pad per day in daylight; therefore, they will hardly bother local residents," Zorin said.

The first air taxi flights are scheduled for 2006.

City authorities are planning to invest $350 million during the next 10 years to develop the program. They are planning to purchase 35 planes and 37 helicopters for flights within the city limits and to towns within a 600-km range around Moscow.

The Moscow Air Taxi program was unveiled at the recent MAKS-2005 air show near Moscow.

Prices for air taxi tickets will be slightly higher than those for train tickets in coach class.

Moscow's air taxi program will be the first of its kind in Russia. Some countries, including the United States and West European countries, introduced air taxi systems long ago.

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