Which Other airlines are operating most international flights to, from Russia?
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 resulted in international sanctions and travel restrictions, dramatically reshaping routes for many airlines across the globe. Despite these hurdles, several major and regional airlines from the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Eastern Europe continue to connect Russia to the world.
According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company for July 2024, there are 22 airlines with over 200 international flights to and from Russia. The largest operator is Russia’s flag carrier, Aeroflot, with 6,017 flights in August. The airline will operate nearly 2.5 times the number of international flights as the next leading carrier, Ural Airlines.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought major changes to the aviation industry. In response to sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) in the wake of the invasion, Russia closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries.
This affected many flights between Europe and Asia, which traditionally crossed the large country to reach their destination. Many European and North American airlines were forced to find alternative routes that avoided Russia’s massive airspace.
By March 2022, Russian aircraft were banned from entering US airspace. According to NPR, US officials hoped the restriction would punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and weaken the country’s economy.
Tensions escalated further in the following month when the European Union blacklisted 21 Russian-certified airlines. This move prohibited airlines, even Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot, from entering EU airspace. According to CNN, the EU cited “serious safety concerns” as the reasoning behind the decision.
Today, with several of these restrictions still in place, only a select few non-Russian airlines are flying to and from Russia. While most are smaller carriers from regions such as the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Eastern Europe, some major airlines also serve Russia.
Aeroflot, Russia’s flag carrier and largest airline, is the leading operator of international flights to and from Russia in July 2024. Despite the continued sanctions forcing the airline to alter routes to reach many popular destinations, such as Mexico or the Dominican Republic, it will still operate 6,017 international flights from its home country next month.
According to Aeroflot, the airline operates several types of aircraft configured in two- and three-class arrangements. Data from ch-aviation shows that Aeroflot’s fleet consists of 171 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
FlightRadar24 shows that the majority of Aeroflot’s flights operate out of Moscow, St. Petersburg or Krasnoyarsk (KJA). Top international destinations include cities in Turkey, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan.
Ural Airlines has the second-highest number of international flights to and from Russia. The Russian airline will operate 2,474 international flights in August.
The airline’s all-Airbus fleet consists of 52 narrowbody aircraft, with A320 variants reigning. Ural Airlines operates most of its flights from Moscow (DME and ZIA) and Yekaterinburg (SVX). Major international destinations include Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Turkish Airlines has the third-highest number of international flights to and from Russia. According to the airline’s website, Turkey’s flag carrier flies to more countries than any other airline in the world. In AugustJuly Turkish Airlines will operate 2,279 flights connecting Russia to other countries.
Turkish Airlines connects several Turkish cities to Russia, with Istanbul (IST) and Antalya (AYT) having the most flights. The three Russian cities currently receiving Turkish Airlines flights are:
The airline with the fourth-highest number of international flights to and from Russia in August is Red Wings Airlines, with 1,459 flights. According to the regional leisure airline’s website, Red Wings is one of the ten largest Russian airlines and serves more than 100 destinations.
Red Wings operates a fleet of just 23 aircraft. Three aircraft are widebody Boeing 777s, while the remainder are Sukhoi SuperJet 100s (SSJ100). The airline operates its fleet from several Russian bases, and popular international destinations include cities.
Uzbekistan Airways has the fifth-highest number of international flights to and from Russia. In August, the airline will operate 1,307 flights connecting Russia to other countries. Uzbekistan Airways uses a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft on these flights, including seven 787-8s.
Most of Uzbekistan’s flights depart from one of its three bases: Tashkent (TAS), Samarkand (SKD), and Namangan (NMA). Popular destination cities in Russia include Moscow (DME & VKO), Sochi (AER), St. Petersburg (LED), and Ufa (UFA). Menu
Seventeen additional airlines will operate at least 200 international flights to and from Russia in August. While several of these airlines are Russian carriers, many are from other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Belarus, and Azerbaijan.
