Russia lifts COVID bans and opens CIS markets for Aeroflot

The Russian government lifted COVID-related air travel bans covering direct flights to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran on March 9, opening new sanction-free markets for its carriers.

Following the authority’s decision, Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) announced that it would restart daily services from Moscow Sheremetyevo to each Bishkek and Osh Int’l in Kyrgyzstan starting on March 14, 2022. Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that services to the Kyrgyz capital began as planned and have thus far operated with both a Russian-registered SSJ 100/95 and a Bermuda-registered B737-800, while flights to Osh were cancelled on both March 14 and 15.

Due to sanctions imposed on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine, Russian carriers are unable to enter the airspace of the European Union, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and the United States, rendering most of their westbound international network impossible to operate. Additionally, following the revocation of all leases and the subsequent nationalisation of aircraft, and the withdrawal of Bermudan and Irish certificates of airworthiness, Russian airlines risk the seizure of their leased aircraft any time they operate to a foreign jurisdiction.