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Russian aviation authority calls on Ukraine to hold talks on resuming flights

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ukrainian government banned unscheduled flights to Russia

© Sergei Savostianov/TASS

MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Russia has called on Ukraine’s aviation authorities to hold talks on resuming air transport service between the two countries, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) said in a statement.

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Kiev bans all direct flights to Russia

"In response to a ban on direct charter flights between our countries, imposed by the Ukrainian authorities, we suggest holding talks and resuming air transport service in full, which involves regular and charter flights," the statement reads. "We are confident that this move is in the interest of our nations and air passengers," Rosaviatsia added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ukrainian government banned unscheduled flights to Russia in a move initiated by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry. However, according to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, the ban will not apply to potential flights arranged for international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Flight ban

There has been no air transport service between Russia and Ukraine for the past three and a half years. Tensions first rose when Kiev demanded that Moscow pay fines for the allegedly illegal flights of Russian air carriers to Crimea, which had reunited with Russia in March 2014. In September 2015, Ukraine imposed sanctions on more than 20 Russian air companies. According to then Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk, flights to Crimea, which allegedly violated Ukraine’s air space, were the reason behind the move.

As a result, Russia had to take retaliatory steps against Ukrainian air carriers. A few days later, Yatsenyuk made a statement saying that Russian air companies would be banned from operating flights to Ukraine if they "carry military and dual-use goods or Russian troops." A total ban on regular flights to Russia was announced in October 2015. However, the ban did not apply to charter flights.

In response, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) barred all Ukrainian air carriers from operating flights to Russia.

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