Flights to south Russia cancelled, including to operational airports

MOSCOW. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Russian airline companies, against the backdrop of hostilities in Ukraine, have begun cancelling flights to southern Russian cities, including to airports whose operations have not been restricted by Rosaviatsia, the federal air transport agency.

On Thursday, Rosaviatsia said that eleven airports - in Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Elista, Stavropol, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Voronezh and Simferopol - would be closed until March 2. Several airlines have suspended flights to these destinations.

Meanwhile, some airlines also cancelled flights to other southern cities. For example, Pobeda (owned by Aeroflot ) and S7 cancelled flights to Volgograd. The latter also cancelled flights to Sochi, Lipetsk, Astrakhan, Mineralniye Vody and Vladikavkaz. Utair cancelled flights to Lipetsk.

Passengers have been offered refunds.