Russian Transport Ministry announces direct flights to Tanzania, Kuwait, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia

MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax) - Direct flights to Vietnam, Bahrain, Jordan and Tunisia have been available in Russia since the beginning of 2024, and direct flights to Tanzania, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are due to begin before the end of this year, Russian Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin said.

"Currently, Russian airlines operate 1,124 aircraft, and 19 Russian airlines fly to 25 foreign countries. In turn, 54 airlines from 30 countries fly here. Hence, it is safe to say that we have rather close relations with friendly states. We are interacting at every level, including the levels of the transport ministry and tourist industries," Poteshkin said at the plenary session of the Travel tourist forum at Moscow's VDNKh exhibition center.

New destinations in Vietnam, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Tunisia were introduced over the first five months of 2024, he said.

"We are hoping to begin [flights] to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Kuwait and Tanzania this year," Poteshkin said.

Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said earlier that Persian Gulf countries had become a primary inbound tourism market for Russia, while the introduction of a visa-free system was being discussed with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.