Traffic Director Meelis Telliskivi told ERR on Monday that the age requirement was kept. "We left it in by changing other tender source documentation."

He added that the change postponed the deadline for bids until January 21.

The Public Procurement Review Committee (VAKO) satisfied a challenge by Lithuanian airline Transaviabaltika in late November seeking the abolition of a clause according to which aircraft operated by the service provider must be manufactured in 2000 or later.

Member of the committee Mart Parind explained at the time: "The Road Administration has not described the service in a way to suggest it could only be successfully offered with aircraft manufactured after a certain date. Therefore, using an aircraft of a certain number of years cannot demonstrate the bidder's capacity in terms of performing the contract."

Parind said that the committee's decision does not allow the Road Administration to keep the age of aircraft clause unless it changes the obligations of the service provider in tender documentation.

Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas made a proposal to the Road Administration this fall to include an age clause in the tender conditions after he received a letter from Saaremaa rural municipality mayor Madis Kallas, according to whom a notable leap in quality of the service cannot be achieved with aircraft older than 20 years.

--

Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!