OREANDA-NEWS. September 30, 2010. The Rostov Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (OFAS Russia) fined “Donavia” OJSC for abusing market dominance, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

“Donavia” OJSC fixed four tariff plans with identical service packages for passenger air transportation on the Rostov-on-Don – Moscow – Rostov-on-Don route, which violated Clause 6 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (prohibiting unjustified setting of different prices for the same goods).

The company was unable to give any economic, technological or any other justification of its fixing different tariffs for the same service.

“The price plans had identical period for booking and issuance, return conditions, free luggage limit, the same discounts for children, etc. However, price difference under those tariffs reached 3000 Rubles: the air fare under the KPXOW tariff was 6880 Rubles and under VSXOW, TSSOW and WSSOW - 5480, 4580 and 3880 Rubles accordingly. So for exactly the same tickets some passengers had to pay more than others”, commented the Head of Rostov OFAS Russia Vadim Korneev.

The company has dominant position on the market of air passenger transportation within the geographic boundaries Rostov-on-Don – Moscow, and it abused its market dominance. Under Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations, Rostov OFAS Russia fined “Donavia” OJSC 0.01 of the income from selling air tickets under the above rates in 2009.

The overall fine is 3,512,000 Rubles.