A ban on flights operated by Russian airlines in the Czech Republic has been lifted until July 7. The national carrier Czech Airlines was granted temporary access to transit routes across Siberia on its flights from Prague to Seoul.
"Flights by Russian air carriers are again allowed," the Czech Transport Ministry said in a statement. "The Czech Republic and Russia want to come to an agreement. The current crisis in air transport communication between the Czech Republic and Russia has been the result of a failed agreement between the two countries’ flights departments," TASS cited the document as saying.
At night, Aeroflot and two other Russian airlines canceled several flights to and from the Czech Republic after the Czech Transport Ministry withdrew permits for the flights.
The ministry said it took action after Russia limited the right of national carrier Czech Airlines to use routes across Siberia on its flights from Prague to Seoul.
Aeroflot said it had been forced to cancel flights SU2010/2011, SU2014/2015, SU2016/2017 and SU2018/2019 despite being ready to fly, but that two others would fly as normal.
Russian budget airline Pobeda said it had canceled two bi-weekly flights to Karlovy Vary.
Ural Airlines suspended all flights between the Czech Republic and the city of Yekaterinburg and Zhukovsky international airport near Moscow.
Later, Ural Airlines’ general director said it had obtained permits for flights from Yekaterinburg and that those would fly as normal.
The Prague Airport said on its website that as of 0930 GMT, four flights from Moscow and one from Zhukovsky scheduled for Tuesday were canceled. One flight from and one to Seoul scheduled for Tuesday were scheduled.
Russia’s Transportation Ministry said that Czech authorities’ actions had violated the air communication agreement between the two countries, but that talks were underway to resolve the issue "as soon as possible," Interfax reported.
The Trans-Siberian line is the shortest way for air carriages from Europe to Asia.
