Russian tourists stranded in Turkey have begun to be returned to Moscow

Russian tourists stuck in Turkey due to mass flight cancellations ahead of May 9 have begun to return home. The first plane is already flying from Antalya to Moscow.

RIA Novosti reports this, citing a source at Turkish Airlines.

As NI reported earlier, before Victory Day, Turkish airlines cancelled dozens of flights from Antalya to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Thousands of Russian tourists were stuck in departure zones on May 8. About 1,500 Russians were accommodated in Antalya hotels, but in reality there were many more victims. Thousands of people were held hostage by the situation, waiting for flights for 30 hours or more .

Flights to Russian cities also stopped flying from the resorts of Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman. Due to the collapse at Turkish airports, Russian tour operators had to switch to emergency mode of operation.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia ( ATOR ), 20 Turkish Airlines flights to Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Istanbul from Vnukovo Airport, four Pegasus Airlines flights to Antalya, Istanbul and Bodrum, and seven flights to Antalya and Istanbul from St. Petersburg were cancelled.

In total, about 150 flights were cancelled for arrival and departure at the Moscow air hub on May 8. And the total number of cancellations reached 400. The shift in the schedule led to a "domino effect" and further expansion of the transport collapse.

“According to aggregated information from market participants, the situation with flight cancellations will affect more than 15,000 people (including flights whose scheduled departure time has not yet arrived),” ATOR stated.

The Russian Ministry of Transport, Rosaviatsia and Turkish Airlines have agreed to resume flights in full from May 9, the Federal Air Transport Agency reported on Thursday. The cancelled flights for May 8 will be operated by Azur Air and SouthWind. Turkish Airlines is working on the possibility of adding additional flights to its schedule for May 9, the agency noted.

As NI reported earlier, the cause of the large-scale aviation collapse was the danger of UAV attacks. Drone attacks intensified on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Victory. Due to security concerns, flight restrictions were introduced at many airports. Against this backdrop, the long-awaited vacation of thousands of Russians was ruined. At the same time, the question of compensation for the inconvenience to the victims remains open.

The Russian Ministry of Transport announced that Turkish Airlines will resume its flight program to Russia in full from May 9.

The department indicated that the flights cancelled on May 8 will be operated by Azur Air and SouthWind. During the day of May 9, it is possible that Turkish Airlines will organize additional flights.

The events at airports forced authorities to issue special recommendations to airlines.

"Despite the normalization of air transport, the Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsia continue to keep special control over the work of airlines and airports. The heads of aviation enterprises need to analyze the work of their teams in emergency situations," the department said.

The Ministry of Transport recommended that carriers pay special attention to compliance with federal aviation regulations, which require that passengers be provided with free water in the event of a two-hour flight delay, hot meals in the event of a four-hour delay, and free overnight accommodation in a hotel in the event of a six-hour delay at night or an eight-hour delay during the day.

In addition, the department advised airlines to improve the work of call centers, enhance the service culture, improve the methods of communicating information about schedule changes, and reduce the time passengers spend on planes after landing at alternate airfields.

"Controversial issues should be resolved in favor of passengers. Safe flights and punctuality of flights are key priorities for Russian civil aviation," the Ministry of Transport summarized .

Earlier in the morning of May 9, it became known that a number of airports in Russian cities, where restrictions on operations were introduced due to UAV attacks, had resumed operations. In particular, aircraft traffic was restored at the Saratov airport. There has been no information yet on the resumption of interrupted flights in Bugulma and Nizhnekamsk (Tatarstan).