How to get out of Russia - private charter refused permit
 

Hi all.

we have 5 guys (oil workers) trying to get out of Russia (Moscow) to go to Norway so they can work. All 5 have travelled to Moscow and are currently there, but with hours before the charter was to leave Bergen to collect them. The Russian Authorities have refused the permit to fly, with no explanation despite the request going in nearly 2 weeks ago.

Travel agents are now suggesting a departure from St Petersburg and they guys travelling from Moscow by air (which they’re happy to do and is achievable)

thoughts or any reasonable explanation?

Are they Russian nationals ?

Like any CAA, they reserve the right to deny permission.

I assume you used a good agent in Russia for obtaining the permission ?

Yes they are and yes apparently so. It’s not the refusal but the last minute communication. It’s caused much more work in the background.

Possibly the organiser of the oil workers' charter didn't oil enough palms ...

Russia CAA often do or say nothing until the last moment. Nothing unusual in that.

This is where your agent earns their money.....

I've had something similar happen, out of LED, ended up bussing the pax over the border to Lappeenranta.

Go by road/rail from St Petersburg to Helsinki - or fly to Murmansk and get a car/bus/taxi to Kirkenes from there

That’s exactly what they’ve done.

Nice drive at this time of the year - not so much fun in winter :uhoh:

They may be asked to buy a bicycle - you can't walk into Norway and some of the taxis don't want the hassle of crossing the border twice so they'll drop you just short of the Russian border post with a cycle which you then use for the 5-6 km ride through the border zone. Entrepreneurs in Kirkeness round up all the dumped cycles every so often and return them to Murmansk.