The following statement was made in response to media inquiries about the profile of travel from Russia following the imposition of sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine: “With many routes to and from Russia effectively closed as a result of the imposition of sanctions following Ukraine’s invasion, we are witnessing an increase in air travel via Serbia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates of more than 200 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.” According to data collected between the 28th of February (when sanctions were imposed) and the 8th of March (the most recent data available), the leading hubs for persons traveling from Russia to Europe were Turkey, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece were the most popular European destinations for transfers via Turkey; the most popular European destinations for transfers via Serbia were Montenegro, Cyprus, France, Switzerland, and Italy; and the most popular European destinations for transfers via the UAE were Cyprus, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates also functioned as hubs for connecting Russia with the United States, as well as several Asian destinations.”
“When comparing scheduled flight capacity prior to the imposition of sanctions (during the week of February 21st) to the most recent available data (during the week of March 7th), there has been a 50% increase from Russia to Serbia, a 12 percent increase to Turkey, and a 5% increase to the United Arab Emirates,” Olivier continued.