SAS Gauging US sanctions impact on Russia World Cup plans

SAS is assessing the potential impact of US sanctions on plans to fly Denmark's World Cup soccer team to a Russian airport owned by a blacklisted firm, joining two other airlines looking into the issue. Eight of the Russian airports that are likely to be used by World Cup teams in June are owned by entities targeted last week by new sanctions for what US officials described as the Kremlin's "malign activities" around the world. Given that the US government can take punitive action against foreign companies that do business with sanctioned entities, the eight teams that will be based near one of the affected airports and the airlines flying them could face headaches. SAS is set to fly the Danish team from Copenhagen to the southern Russian city of Anapa, where their base for the tournament is located, the Danish Football Association said. The airport there is operated by Basel Aero, a company owned by sanctioned Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska. SAS said it had not been aware that the US sanctions could be an issue and that the company would look into the situation.<br/>