Russia bans charter flights to Turkey

It’s been almost one week since the Turkish military shot down a Russian bomber, claiming it was over that country’s airspace, and relations between the two countries have grown chillier. Today, the tensions began spilling over into the airfreight industry.

According to Egyptian newspaper Daily News Egypt, Russia has banned all charter flights between Russia and Turkey, while also banning sales of tour packages to the country. Regular passenger air travel will also be regulated, said Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov. While these bans will include cargo flights, the sanctions are expected to affect mostly passenger traffic, as Turkey is a popular tourist destination for many Russians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is waiting for an apology from Turkey saying that the Su-24 bomber, which was participating in sorties over Syria, was not in Turkey’s air space at the time of the incident. However, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, said the United States’ data corroborates Turkey’s version of events. “The airplane was in Turkey, it was engaged in Turkey, it had been warned repeatedly,” Lute said.

Russia also said it will enhance security with regard to the activity of Turkish trucking companies in Russian territory. Security would also be beefed up to check for possible illegal marine movements at various Russian ports, including the seaports in the Azov-Black Sea area.