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Türkiye’s flagship carrier, Turkish Airlines, agreed on Thursday to resume flights between Türkiye and Russia following a temporary suspension, the state news agency TASS reported.
According to TASS, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced via its official Telegram channel that authorities had reached an agreement with Turkish Airlines to fully resume the flight schedule between Türkiye and Russia starting Friday, May 9.
The statement added that Turkish Airlines "is also considering adding additional flights to the May 9 schedule."
On May 8, Thursday, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines canceled several flights from key tourist destinations in Russia. Turkish Airlines suspended 20 flights planned to operate from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport to Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, and Istanbul. Pegasus Airlines also canceled four flights scheduled to depart from Russian cities to Antalya, Istanbul, and Bodrum. In addition, seven flights from St. Petersburg to Antalya and Istanbul were also removed from the schedule.
A total of at least 16 cancellations were reported for flights between Moscow or St. Petersburg and the southern Turkish resort city of Antalya.
Although no official reason was provided for the flight cancellations, aviation sources pointed to recent airspace restrictions in Russia as a likely cause. These limitations were reportedly imposed following Ukrainian drone attacks on May 6 and 7, which targeted various regions within Russian territory.
In response, Russian authorities temporarily restricted civilian air traffic at several major airports, including Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, Sochi, and Kazan. These measures were taken to ensure civilian aviation safety, Rosaviatsiya noted.
According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), approximately 15,000 passengers have been affected by the sudden wave of flight cancellations. Rosaviatsiya confirmed that airlines are currently working to rebalance their schedules in light of the disruptions.
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