Airport, Estonia, Legislation, Transport

Invited to participate in the tender are all bidders who hold a valid air operator's certificate and operating license, the ministry said.

The ministry is carrying out a negotiated tendering procedure without prior publication of a tender notice in which the budgetary subsidy has to be taken into consideration.

The ministry is cooperating with the government of the island county of Saaremaa to find a carrier also for the Tallinn-Kuressaare and Kuressaare-Tallinn routes. The Saare County government too had a contract with Avies that was terminated because the carrier's air operator's certificate and operating license were suspended.

If Avies manages to eliminate the shortcomings pointed out by the Civil Aviation Administration and recovers its licenses it too can participate in the tender. The company also can team up with some other air operator and submit a joint tender in line with the tender conditions.

Since the previous contract was based on Avies' independent offer, the company cannot continue fulfilling the contract through cooperation with another air operator.

The aviation authority suspended the air operator's certificate of Avies which until then operated flights from Tallinn to the island capitals Kuressaare and Kardla, as well as to Stockholm, on April 1.