United Arab Emirates operator Flydubai and Kazakh regional carrier Qazaq Air are suspending services on some Russian routes in the wake of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash.
The measures follow Azerbaijan Airlines’ decision to halt flights to several Russian cities, over flight safety concerns.
Flydubai is temporarily cancelling services to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody until 2-3 January, according to the Russian tour operator association ATOR.
ATOR says the carrier is citing “force majeure and a threat to flight safety” for its suspension, adding that more than 4,000 passengers are affected.
“The option of transferring tourists to flights of other airlines to Dubai – in Sochi, for example, this is Ural Airlines – is also being worked on,” it adds.
Qazaq Air is withdrawing its service from Astana to Ekaterinburg from 28 December to 27 January.
“Suspension of flights was carried out to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members, based on the results of an ongoing risk assessment of flights to Russia,” it states.
Passengers booked on affected flights will be offered the chance to rebook or given a refund.
Qazaq Air will continue to serve Omsk and Novosibirsk, pointing out that they meet its risk-assessment criteria.
