Turkish airline Southwind Airlines, which the European Union has banned from using its airspace, plans an active flight campaign to Russian cities during the summer season. This information comes from the HavaSosyalMedya portal, which specializes in civil aviation news.
In particular, it is noted that twice-daily flights are planned from Antalya to Moscow using a 531-seat Boeing 777-300ER. There are plans for 11 flights per week to the Russian capital on a 550-seat Boeing 777-300, as well as 10 flights each to Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg.
Additionally, seven flights per week are planned from Antalya to Kazan, four to Novosibirsk, and three to Krasnoyarsk. These flights will be operated using 353-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
The European Union previously imposed a ban on Southwind Airlines flights through Europe due to suspicions that Russia effectively controls the carrier. On April 1, the airline issued a statement rejecting accusations of ties to Russia and calling the decision to ban flights in the eurozone based on rumors and politically motivated. The Turkish carrier also announced its intention to challenge this decision in European judicial bodies and is making efforts to have the ban on Southwind lifted by the relevant authorities in Turkey.
The airline was established in Turkey in April 2022 to transport Russians to the country’s resorts and is based in Antalya.
