Air India cancels Delhi-Moscow flights

Air India has ceased its Dehli-Moscow flights due to problems with insurance validity over Russian Airspace.

Russian flights suspended

The Indian flag carrier has ceased ticket sales on its flights to Russia this week following an insurance issue. The twice-weekly flight to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport was the only Russian service offered by the airline. An Air India spokesperson confirmed the cancellation to the Hindustan Times but refused further comment.

ZEE NEWS sources confirm insurance as the reason for the cancellations. There have been concerns about “threat perception” over Russian skies, calling into question the validity of insurance for flights passing through Russian Airspace. The airline is insured by international agencies, which may view the situation in Russia differently from the airline.

What now for passengers?

The Russian embassy in India has said that the prospect of flights restarting is currently unclear. However, passengers who have booked tickets for the route can claim full refunds for cancelled flights. The embassy sent out the following statement on its Telegram channel:

“Dear fellow citizens. We draw your attention that the Indian airline Air India has stopped selling tickets on the Delhi-Moscow-Delhi route, the prospects for resuming flights of this airline to Russia are uncertain at the moment. According to Air India office, passengers are entitled to the full refund for the canceled flights,”

They added that it is still possible to travel between the two countries using transit routes through Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and other destinations.

Travel options for Russian citizens are beginning to open up again. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced earlier this week that Russia would be commencing flights to 52 “friendly” countries, including Argentina, South Africa and Pakistan. The new routes will start on the 9 April.

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