Rossiya Airlines changes flight services provider in Turkey after Havas declines

MOSCOW. April 18 (Interfax) - Rossiya Airlines, part of Aeroflot Group , has found a new flight services provider in Turkey to replace Havas, who refused to do business with the company, Alexei Tabakov, deputy director of the carrier's commercial activities and external relations department said.

"Havas supported the sanctions against Russian companies and refused to service them for a number of reasons. So, we changed our service company," Tabakov said at a session during the TransRussia exhibition.

In an interview with reporters, he clarified that the change took place in March. The new handler (he did not specify the name of the company) "does not adhere to sanctions restrictions, and accordingly, serves our aircraft."

Rossiya now operates its own non-Aeroflot flights only to Antalya, which are organized by tour operator Biblio Globus. In the future, flights to Istanbul will also resume.

According to an Interfax source, Aeroflot also began using the services of the new provider in Turkey instead of Havas starting in March.

Havas is Turkey's largest airport ground handling service provider. In February, the media reported that the company had warned Russian, Belarusian and Iranian airlines about the risk that the servicing of their Boeing and Airbus aircraft would end due to U.S. sanctions.