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Coronavirus pandemic

Finland’s air carrier Finnair resumes flights with Russia

The flights to Saint Petersburg will be operated every Friday and Sunday

© EPA-EFE/SEPPO SIRKKA

HELSINKI, January 29. /TASS/. Finnish airline Finnair resumes flights on January 29 between Finland’s capital of Moscow and Russia’s second largest city of Saint Petersburg, the company’s press office announced on Friday.

"We have the required permits for flights to and from St. Petersburg. The flights will start on January 29," Finnair’s press service announced to TASS adding that the flights will be operated every Friday and Sunday.

The Finnish air carrier also plans to resume in March flights between Helsinki and the Russian capital of Moscow.

Finnair issued on January 28 an updated list of requirements for international passengers travelling to Finland. Among the provisions in the document the airline requires a coronavirus test certificate.

"In line with the recommendation by Finnish health authorities, we will start requiring either a certificate of a negative coronavirus test or a doctor’s certificate stating that you have had the coronavirus, within the past 6 months, but you are fully recovered from it and are fit to travel," according to the document published on the air company’s official website.

"The requirement will apply to all travelers, including citizens of Finland, on international Finnair flights to Finland from 28 January 2021 onwards," the document reads. "The pre-travel testing requirement does not apply to you if you connect to an international flight at Helsinki."

However, Finland’s Ministry of the Interior stated earlier that the country would not open its borders for Russian tourists despite the resumption of flights with Russia.

The Russian cabinet’s press service announced on Tuesday that Russia would lift restrictions on entry for the citizens of Finland, Vietnam, India and Qatar and flights with these countries would resume on January 27.

Air traffic between Finland and Russia was terminated last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. In late December, Russian flagship air carrier Aeroflot resumed flights between Helsinki and Moscow. Railway communication between the countries is still suspended.

Finland is ranked 98th in the world in terms of reported COVID-19 cases, which currently stand at over 44,030. More than 660 people died of the novel coronavirus infection, while over 31,000 recovered from the illness.

Russia is currently in 4th place among other countries. To date, 3,793,810 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 3,229,258 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 71,651 fatalities nationwide.

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