A new airline, which the Turkish government is creating to carry Russian tourists Turkey’s resorts, will start work in May.

The company will be named Southwind and initially operate five Airbus planes.

This year beckoned with hopes for a post-pandemic expanse and a return to the former freedom of travel. However, everything changed for Russian tourists on February 24. The tourism industry in Russia was among the first to reflect the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Turkey’s hopes for a serious Russian tourist flow this summer are not a fact that is destined to come true. At least for the time being, trips to Turkey show a tendency to collapse.

In the near future, there will be a big drop in purchasing power – about 80% due to the depreciation of the ruble, suspension of Visa and Mastercard, and new currency rules.

At the same time, in Turkey itself, overwhelmed by panic over the war,  a mere 2 million Russian tourists are expected amid a barrage of Western sanctions, high prices due to exchange rates of the dollar and the euro and the possibility of losing money due to cancellation or postponement of the trip.