KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian delegation that includes experts and directors of Russia’s state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, will be late for the opening of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (LIMA-2013) after its flight out of Moscow was delayed, a representative of the group told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
Heavy snowfall started on Saturday in Moscow and continued through Sunday and Monday. As a result, the delegation’s Emirates airline flight was reportedly delayed by more than seven hours on Sunday at Domodedovo Airport.
“Loudspeaker announcements said several times that the flight was delayed due to bad weather conditions: snow and strong wind,” an unidentified delegation member said. “But all the other airlines’ planes were taking off, not just Russian ones, but Arab and Asian ones too; they took off from Domodedovo according to the schedule.”
Due to the delay, the delegation members were late for their connecting flight from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur, from where they were due to fly to the island of Langkawi, and some passengers’ luggage was lost and only arrived much later, the representative said. Now they will travel to Langkawi Island, Malaysia, only on Tuesday evening, missing “the first and most important day” of the show, the representative added.
Some 20 Russian companies plan to take part in LIMA-2013, which has been held since 1991, including its top airplane constructors and Russia's state-owned United Industrial Corporation (Oboronprom), which produces helicopters, aircraft engines and air defense systems.
