Russia warns airlines of possible halt to Turkey charter flights

Russia has warned airlines it may again halt charter flights to Turkey, a Russian travel industry lobby group said, as tensions between the two countries intensified over events in Syria. Charter flights between Russia and Turkey were restored in August last year, after they we were stopped in late 2015 following Turkey’s downing of a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian border. The number of Russian visitors to Turkey fell to 866,000 in 2016, from 3.65m a year earlier and 4.5m in 2014. “If it happens, the consequences will be worse than in 2015,” a spokeswoman for the Russian Tourist Industry Union said Monday. The last ban was imposed after the end of the tourism peak season, while there are currently 4 to 5 times more orders for charter flights than in 2016, she said. <br/>