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Russian aviation authority sets up crisis center to return Russians from Turkey

The crisis center will be regularly informing the Russian Transport Ministry about the number of performed flights from Turkey to Russia, the number of transported citizens as well as the number of Russian citizens with issued flight tickets, the statement says

© EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has set up a crisis center for return of Russian nationals from Turkey, the authority said on Saturday.

"The crisis center of Rosaviatsiya [acronym for the Federal Air Transport Agency - TASS] will be regularly informing the Russian Transport Ministry about the number of performed flights from Turkey to Russia, the number of transported citizens as well as the number of Russian citizens with issued flight tickets, who are waiting to return to their homeland," the statement says.

The meeting on April 17 was attended by representatives of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Transport Ministry, Economic Development Ministry, Federal Tourism Agency, State Air Traffic Management Corporation and Russian airlines tasked to fly citizens back from Turkey.

"[The meeting] assessed the current situation on repatriation of compatriots, including the carriers’ readiness for the repatriation campaign," the statement said. "The situation with the return of Russians from Turkey is under Rosaviatsiya’s close control. The agency will take the required decisions to resolve the situation promptly."

Russia has suspended flights to Turkey over a spike in coronavirus cases there, reducing their number to two per week on a reciprocal basis. Besides, the flights to Tanzania are suspended as well.

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