MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. Moscow is awaiting Tokyo's decision on lifting the ban on flights to Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS, adding that the issue of resuming flights is being discussed at the company level.
Russia’s embassy in Tokyo said earlier that Japanese airlines that were affected by their government's anti-Russian actions, were interested in restoring direct flights between the countries.
"Discussions are ongoing between the companies, but we will wait for the Japanese authorities to issue respective instructions or permission to operate such flights. The Russian Federation has not imposed any bans on flights by Japanese airlines. This was a decision by the Japanese government made in the context of the sanctions that they, unfortunately, illegitimately imposed against the Russian Federation. So we will await the Japanese government's decision," Rudenko said when asked whether the flights might be resumed.
The tourist flow from Russia to Japan doubled in the first half of 2025, reaching nearly 84,000 people. In early August, Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported that Russian demand for autumn tours to Japan had increased by 30%.