05 January 2016•Update: 05 January 2016
ISTANBUL
Two privately run Turkish airlines have suspended flights to Russia amid a visa row.
Pegasus Airlines and Onur Air have halted services to Russia temporarily as the authorities there began requiring visas for flight crew as of Jan. 1.
Tension between Moscow and Ankara is high since Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian warplane on Nov. 24 near the Turkey-Syria border.
Since then Russia has announced a number of sanctions against Turkey and unilaterally suspended its visa exemption rule for Turkish citizens as of Jan. 1, 2016.
Pegasus claimed on its website that Russia asked for visas as of Jan. 1, from flight crew in defiance of International Civil Aviation Organization rules.
The company also claimed that its visa applications were left unanswered by Russia.
Passengers who already purchased their tickets can get a refund, the company added.
“Our bid to receive the required visas for our crews is continuing,” the operator said, adding: “We will restart our flights after receiving [the] visas.”
Onur Air also said it halted Russian flights until Jan. 14.
Pegasus offers direct flights to Moscow and Krasnodar while Onur Air flies to Nalchik city in Russia’s Caucasus region.
According to local media, Turkish Airlines flights will continue normally as the company already obtained visas for its crew members.
