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Pearl River tourists to be carried to Russia this week, says Russian tourist authority

The December 11-14 period was mentioned

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Clients of the Pearl River tour operator staying at Hainan in China and with departure dates from December 11 to 14 are to return to Russia during this week, head of the Russian tourist authority Oleg Safonov told TASS.

"It is anticipated in accordance with the flight program that all people will return home as planned," Safonov said.

The Russian Ministry of Transport said earlier that 1,533 tourists of the Pearl River tour operator are in Hainan, including 368 failed to depart to Kazan on December 8 as scheduled earlier. They are in the hotel now, with accommodation and meals provided. Other 1,165 tourists have scheduled departures from December 11 to 14 to Ufa, Samara, Khabarovsk, and Chelyabinsk.

Furthermore, there are about 500 clients of the Pearl River in China that should return by Alrosa airline flights, Safonov said. "The remaining 500 people should return by Alrosa airline flights. According to data stated at the meeting [in the Transport Ministry], they also have return tickets," the official added.

Conflict with air carrier

On December 7, the Russian air carrier IrAero informed that it suspends the flight program to Haikou and Sanya on the Island of Hainan (China) because of debts of the tour operator Pearl River totaling about $2.3 mln.

"The cause of the situation is failure of the tour operator to perform its obligations to IrAero, that is, occurrence of the debt on payment for flights," the Ministry of Transport said earlier. At the same time, the air carrier "has full technical capability for transportation of tourists; an optimal schedule of return flights was developed," the Ministry added.

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