Charter flights to Turkey may resume in three weeks

Charter flights to Turkey can be resumed by mid-August 2016, if there are no new dangerous disasters in the country. So “RG” explained the Executive Director of the Association of tour operators of Russia (ATOR) Maya Lomidze.

She denied comments in the media with reference to ATOR that there will be no charter flights to Turkey this year at all, and there is no likelihood of resumption next year.

Lomidze said that questions about the resumption of charter and regular flights are related to guarantees of safe transportation of Russian citizens.

On July 14, 2016, bilateral negotiations were held with the participation of the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Culture. The Turkish side was asked how much security would be ensured. The Turkish authorities promised to respond within a week or two, Lomidze explained. She said that these issues are even more acute after the military coup. Russian tourists rush to buy vouchers to Turkey and do not want to abandon them, as the holiday season is nearing the end.

As soon as charter programs open, tours, the cost of which is 70 percent air tickets, will fall by a third.