OREANDA-NEWS. Russia on April 15 stopped flights with Turkey. By this time, the Russians had booked 560 thousand tours to this country, of which almost 40% were rebooked for tours in Russia, said the head of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST) Andrei Ignatiev.

About 60% of tourists have postponed their trips to Turkey at a later date and are waiting for the resumption of flights.

Tour operators comply with the imposed restrictions and do not sell tours to Turkey with a departure date before June 21.

"The dates are postponed to July, August and further. Tours are being booked, deposits are being paid. Clients are very careful about their payments. And tour operators prefer not to take money in full for a paid tour. We are waiting for the decision of the headquarters. We really want this to happen." - stressed Ignatiev.

In turn, the vice-president of the RST Yuri Barzykin noted: "In Turkey, the head of the Federal Tourism Agency announced that in the near future, from July, the flight programs will be restored."

Meanwhile, the airlines are expecting the resumption of flights with Egyptian resorts. According to Barzykin, a decree is being prepared to resume air transportation to Egypt from July.

The government restricted air traffic with Turkey from April 15 to June 21 and banned tour operators from selling tours due to the increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in this country. Airlines operate only two flights a week between Istanbul and Moscow, mainly for the removal of Russian tourists.