Russian air traffic is set to resume with 52 countries after the lifting on Monday of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, but only with countries Moscow considers "friendly" amid a calvacade of sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine.
"As of April 9, we are suspending coronavirus restrictions that covered scheduled and charter flights between Russia and a number of other countries," Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Monday during a meeting with representatives of the Kremlin's United Russia party.
The step allows flights with countries that are seen as "friendly" by Moscow, after much of the world has condemned Russia for attacking Ukraine, in a war that began on February 24.
About half of the 52 countries named in Moscow's lifting of the restrictions are from Asia.
Moscow is also dropping pandemic-related regulations for many countries in Latin America and Africa, while, in Europe, flights are only allowed from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Moldova.
Airspace closed
However, just because the restrictions have been lifted, this does not necessarily mean flights will be able to go ahead, as resuming air traffic would sometimes mean Russian aircraft would have to fly over countries which have closed their airspace to Russia due to the war.
Furthermore, some leased aircraft could potentially be impounded in other countries.
