UPDATE 2: PM: Russia to resume international air travel from Aug 1

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MOSCOW/YEKATERINBURG, Jul 24 (PRIME) -- Russia will resume international air travel from August 1, and flights will be carried out from Moscow, the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, and Rostov-on-Don, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a government meeting on Friday.

“We’ve made a decision to restart international air travel. The decision is driven by the current epidemiological situation, infection rates, and the principle of mutuality. From August 1, flights will be done from airports of Moscow, the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, and Rostov-on-Don,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television channel that Russia will restart air travel with three countries: the U.K., Turkey, and Tanzania.

“Why only these three? Because we are very cautious and we don’t want the relaunch of air flights to lead to an inflow of new infection cases to the territory of Russia,” she said.

Russia will restart flights to London, Ankara, Istanbul, and Zanzibar on August 1, and to Turkish resort cities of Antalya, Bodrum, and Dalaman on August 10, Golikova added.

Golikova attributed the decision to restart international flights to quite a long slowdown in dynamics of infection cases in Russia. All foreigners that will fly to Russia will have to have a document that proves a negative test for coronavirus made no earlier than in 72 hours before the flight.

The government’s operative team is working on expansion of the list of countries with which Russia will resume flights on the principle of mutuality.

She also said that limits for the daily flight passenger traffic for Moscow and St. Petersburg, and Rostov-on-Don amounting to 500 people and 200 people, respectively, were cancelled.

Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh told Rossiya 24 separately that Russia’s aviation authorities are in negotiations with about 30 countries over resumption of air travel.

The Federal Air Transport Agency will notify Russian airlines of the government’s decision later on Friday, and the carriers will start selling tickets to the cities soon, Ditrikh added.

A spokesperson of S7 Airlines told PRIME that the company has not yet received any official documents from the authorities, but it is ready to restart international flights as soon as possible.

Ural Airlines’ spokesperson said that the carrier will release an international flight program next week.

Spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said separately that the government’s program for return of Russians back home from foreign states will continue.

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