Turkish Airlines signs 1.5m seat agreement for Russian tourists

Istanbul : The Turkish flag carrier has reached an agreement to fly 1.5 million Russian tourists into the country over the year. As part of a USD 300 million government-backed scheme that will also involve the creation of a new charter airline, the airline will allocate 1.5 million seats to Turkish tour operators offering travel packages to Russians
The agreement is part of a larger plan formulated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance to attract Russian tourists to the country.
According to reports, Turkish Airlines has been talking with leading tour operators for a while now. The seat agreement was signed under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is already being implemented.
Turkish Airlines is one of a select few foreign airlines still flying to Russia, although it has significantly reduced its schedule over the last month. Additionally, the airline has banned Russian citizens from flying on all routes except between Russia and Turkey.
The conflict in Ukraine, which has led to embargoes on Russian-linked companies, has made it difficult for tour operators in Russia to continue bringing tourists into Turkey.