EU bans Turkish airline from flying in its airspace due to links with Russia

Istanbul, Türkiye (Svidomi) — The European Union has banned Turkish Southwind Airlines from flying due to its links with Russian investors, Turkish media outlet Turizm Guncel reports.

The information was also confirmed by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

The decision was made after the airline applied to operate flights between Finland and Türkiye, and the Finnish side discovered the company's ties to Russia and denied landing rights on March 25. 

"We have concluded that the airline and its control are linked to Russian stakeholders," said Jarkko Saarimäki, director general of the Finnish transport authority.

On March 28, the EU informed all countries of the bloc about the ban on flights for Southwind Airlines following the sanctions regulations,  Turizm Guncel says.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia announced the delay of a flight from Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt) to Moscow on March 29, and the cancellation of flights from Antalya, Türkiye, to Kaliningrad. Flights from Egypt to Moscow will allegedly continue but will take longer because the planes will have to bypass the EU. 

Southwind Airlines was founded in April 2022 shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The company is headquartered in Antalya, Türkiye and operates flights to a dozen destinations in Russia and Belarus, as well as Moldova, Lebanon, and North Macedonia. According to German Bild, the carrier received the aircraft from the Russian airline Nordwind.