Russian airlines can meet restoring demand for flights to Turkey — minister

Russian Airlines are able to meet the recovering demand for flights to Turkey, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said in an interview with TASS at the Eastern Economic Forum on Friday. "Taking into account the end of summer, tourist season, and the beginning of the new school year, I think that our companies will be able to mobilize a sufficient number of their aircraft in order to meet the recovering demand this year for flights to Turkey," the minister said. Charter flights to Turkey resume on September 2. The first flight to Antalya performed by the Russian airline Royal Flight is scheduled for 16:20 MSK from Sheremetyevo airport. Russia’s air communication with Turkey has been closed since late October 2015 after a Turkish fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber, which was on an anti-terror mission over the Syrian skies. In response, Russia imposed a number of restrictions on goods and services from Turkey.