The Russian Ministry of Transport is holding consultations with Turkey on “certain issues of fuel supply for Russian aircraft”. On this subject informed TASS in reference to the press service of the department. Thus, the ministry commented on the information that Turkey has stopped serving and refueling some Airbus and Boeing of Russian airlines at the request of the United States.
The Transport Ministry said there were no problems with ground handling of Russian planes at Turkish airports, flights are operating as normal.
In Aeroflot and S7 RBC airlines reported that the flights to Turkey are on time, “within the framework of the announced program”.
An unnamed Russian airline source said a Turkish refueling company had warned in an email that it would not refuel planes operated by Russian carriers sanctioned by the US Commerce Department. However, the airlines “got out of the situation,” noted the RBC interlocutor. He did not give details of the negotiations.
“Kommersant” writing that the publication was only able to confirm two cases of refusal to refuel Russian planes, while all planes returned to Russia.
How will the situation affect flights to Turkey?
In the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) consider that the decision of the Turkish authorities may affect regular flights to Istanbul from Russian regions, but not summer charters. Tour operators working in Turkey have not yet adjusted their schedules for the summer, ATOR noted.
Sources of “Kommersant” in the tourist market assumed that we are talking about the refusal of individual companies to maintain aircraft, but Turkish airports have “three to five such structures, and one of them will probably continue to provide services.”
If the issue is not resolved, charters will continue to fly with refueling in Sochi or “explore the possibility” of refueling while awaiting a return flight, one of the sources said. Another interlocutor of the newspaper indicated that the possibility of agreeing on the creation of a “new independent oil company” in Turkey had already been mentioned.
On Thursday, March 16, Airporthaber announced that the Turkish Customs and Trade Ministry had banned the refueling and maintenance of Russian and Belarusian aircraft containing more than 25% American-made components. This decision, according to Airporthaber, was made after receiving a letter from the US Department of Commerce.
According to the publication, there are talks of several dozen aircraft from Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Utair, AZUR Air, Pegas Fly, Rossiya, Yamal and Belavia.
In January, the Wall Street Journal wrote that US authorities were demanding that Turkey comply with the anti-Russian sanctions regime. In this regard, Washington calls for a ban on flights to the republic of American-made aircraft, which are on the balance sheet of Russian airlines.
