Russia, Turkey approve more carriers between Moscow, Istanbul

AtlasGlobal is the third designated Turkish airline on the route linking the capital cities of that country and Russia (Ralf Roletschek / Wikimedia)

The aviation authorities of Russia and Turkey have agreed to assign an additional third carrier each to operate flights on the route between Moscow and Istanbul, reads an official statement by Russia’s Federel Air Transport Agency (FATA).

The two new carriers will be able to use up to seven frequencies per week. Istanbul designated AtlasGlobal. There is no information as to Moscow’s decision as yet.

At present, Aeroflot and its low-cost subsidiary Pobeda Airlines are the two carriers designated to operate the route linking the two countries’ capital cities. Pobeda was only approved for flights to Turkey earlier in July. Turkey is represented on the route by Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Another Turkish carrier, Onur Air, flies from Istanbul to Zhukovsky, a recently opened airport outside Moscow.

Earlier this year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed an Open Skies agreement with Russia. According to Russia’s Association of Tour Operators, more that 40,000 Russian tourisits visited the country in January this year alone, which is up 81.5% on the same month of 2016. This propelled Russia to fifth position among the largest contributors to Turkey’s inbound tourism market.