Rosaviatsiya extends temporary closure of 11 airports in southern Russia

The Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) has extended the ban on flights to 11 airports in central and southern Russia for the ninth time, until April 25.

Temporary restrictions on flights to the airports of the Russian cities of Anapa, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol, and Elista have been extended. Airlines are still recommended to use the airports of Sochi, Volgograd, Mineralnye Vody, Stavropol, and Moscow instead.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia warned that southern airports might lose more than 2 million passengers due to flight restrictions.

As the European Union has banned the supply, leasing, maintenance, and insurance of aircraft in the Russian Federation, domestic airlines can operate international flights only on SSJ 100 or their own liners to a limited number of countries.