UPDATE2: Russia to start charter flights to Turkey this week

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MOSCOW, Aug 29 (PRIME) -- Russian tour operators will resume charter flights to Turkey by the end of this week, Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators, confirmed on Monday.

On August 28, Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the association, said that domestic tour operators will be able to create new programs to Turkey with charter flights in the coming days and send first tourists by the end of this week.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier signed a ruling to abolish a ban on charter flights to Turkey.

Lomidze said: “There is demand for tours to Turkey and sales… First flights are scheduled for upcoming Friday–Sunday. It is logically because it is the most popular days of departure, and tour operators will have time to get ready.”

According to Gorin, the resumption of charter flights will reduce the cost of travel offers to Turkey by at least 20–30%.

The government also recommended that airlines operating charter flights between Russia and Turkey take additional measures to ensure aviation safety. “To adopt additional measures aimed at providing transport (aviation) safety during the implementation of regular airline service with the Republic of Turkey,” according to a document released on the government’s Web site.

The Transport Ministry said that Russian airlines have already started filing bids to the Federal Air Transport Agency to make charter flights to Turkey.

Tour operator Tez Tour expects to resume charter programs to Turkey over the next four to five days, PR Director Larisa Akhanova told PRIME. The cost of travel offers will fall by 15–20%, she said.

Ñharter flights between Russia and Turkey ceased due to a crisis in relations between the countries, which worsened after Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 jet in November 2015. In late June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to abolish restrictions against Turkey.

Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said in an interview to Rossiya 1 TV channel that Ankara provided guarantees of safety in its airports to Moscow and the Turkish measures include enhanced screening, which will cover around 20% of arrived tourists.

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