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Bank on air service between Moscow and Minsk lifted till March 29

According to Gusarov, Russia has temporarily lifted the ban on flight after Belarus did the same

MINSK, March 26 (Itar-Tass) —— A ban on air service between Moscow and Minsk has been lifted till March 29, Anatoly Gusarov, the director general of the Belarusian airlines Belavia, told journalists on Monday.

“Negotiations on problems of air service between Moscow and Minsk will start on Thursday,” he said.

According to Gusarov, Russia has temporarily lifted the ban on flight after Belarus did the same.

Russian air companies confirmed that air service between the two countries was resumed at 11:00 a.m. Moscow time.

According to earlier reports, Russia’s air transport authorities notified the Belarusian airlines Belavia about revocation of its permit to make flights to Moscow. In response, Belarus banned all Russian air companies to make flight to Minsk.

Among Russian companies making flights to Belarus are Aeroflot – Russian Airlines, Sibir (S7 Airlines), and UTair.

A source in the Belarusian Ministry of Transport blamed the Russian side for the suspension in air service. This way, it said, Russian seeks to win commercial advantage for its air companies through obtaining a permit for a bigger number of flights to Minsk.

Moscow sources also confirmed that the dispute was rooted in the number of flights between the two countries. Thus, they claim, Belarus’ air transport authorities refused to issue a permit to Russia’s Aeroflot to perform a third daily flight to Belarus.

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