Russia to lift coronavirus restrictions on air services with over 50 countries - Mishustin

MOSCOW. April 4 (Interfax) - The Russian government is lifting coronavirus restrictions on air services with over 50 countries starting April 9.

"I would like to tell you about the latest anti-crisis measures, these are decisions that have been made by the [coronavirus] response headquarters," Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a meeting with members of the United Russia party's parliamentary faction in the run-up to the presentation of a government report to the State Duma.

"First of all, I'll say a couple of words about a document signed today, which, among others, the air transport industry and certainly our citizens have been looking forward to: starting April 9, we're lifting the anti-coronavirus restrictions that applied to our scheduled and charter flights between Russia and a number of other countries," Mishustin said.

Russia is planning to resume air services with 52 countries, he said.

"The disease incidence rate is declining, and therefore, it's time to expand the destinations accessible to our Russian airlines. They can currently fly without restrictions to 15 countries, including a number of EAEU [the Eurasian Economic Union] countries, Qatar, Mexico, and some others, and now we're resuming air services with 52 countries, including Argentina, India, China, South Africa, and other countries friendly to us," he said.

The coronavirus operative response headquarters said that, taking into account the epidemiological situation in certain countries, it was decided to lift all restrictions on scheduled and charter flights to and from another 52 countries starting April 9.

These countries are Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, the DPRK, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.