MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti) - 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, Neradko said.
