Financial losses for Moscow's airports from Russia's ban on flights to Turkey, Egypt and Ukraine amount to 6 billion rubles ($76 million), according to Domodedovo Airport's acting director Denis Nuzhdin, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.
The biggest loss — more than 3 billion rubles ?€” resulted from restrictions on flights to Turkey, Nuzhdin said.
The ban on flights to Egypt cost Moscow airports 2.3 billion rubles ($29 million) and another 690 million rubles ($8.7 million) was lost due to the suspension of flights to Ukraine, Nuzhdin added.
Flights between Russia and Ukraine were halted in October amid a standoff over Moscow's actions in eastern Ukraine.
In November, Russia imposed a ban on all passenger flights to Egypt after a Russian plane was brought down by a terrorist bomb over the Sinai Peninsula.
Charter flights to Turkey were banned by Russia from Dec. 1 as part of sanctions against the country over its downing of a Russian warplane.
Nuzhdin said domestic flights will not compensate for losses caused by the cancellation of foreign routes.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.