Turkish A320's Antalya to Moscow today

[Imagegear]

There seems to be a considerable number of A320's running from Antalya through Poland to Moscow, several groups together.

I know the Russians love Turkey but this seems exceptional. " Repositioning"?

Comments

[FlightDetent]

Said this before: If the operator is paying overflight charges / taking fuel in RF, they are inside the scope for airspace sanctions.

Good question, are they coming back? Could be a dry-lease arrangement to cover for the crippled airframes there.

[Imagegear]

Could they be "Tanking" and why ?

[DaveReidUK]

Said this before: If the operator is paying overflight charges / taking fuel in RF, they are inside the scope for airspace sanctions.

Airspace sanctions for a Turkish airline by whom ?

[FlightDetent]

Should have said 'could' be.

But not in this case according to the NOTAM wording of PL:

Period: 2022-05-27T11:57:00.000Z - 2022-08-27T23:59:00.000Z
ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED OR OPERATED BY CITIZENS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, OPERATORS HOLDING AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY AIRSPACE OF POLAND EXCEPT HUMANITARIAN, SAR AND LEASED AIRCRAFT ONE-WAY RETURN FLIGHTS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE APPROPRIATE POLISH AUTHORITIES AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY LANDING OR EMERGENCY OVERFLIGHT. THE PERMISSION IS AVAILABLE FROM CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITIES OF POLAND IN WRITING VIA EMAIL TO: CAAPL(AT)ULC.GOV.PL. CREATED: 27 May 2022 11:58:00 SOURCE: EUECYIYN

Czechia not really there either (spot the difference)
Period: 2022-04-08T12:26:00.000Z - 2022-07-07T23:00:00.000Z
RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED, OPERATED OR OTHERWISE CONTROLLED BY CITIZENS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND OPERATORS HOLDING AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY AIRSPACE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC EXCEPT AIRCRAFT IN EMERGENCY OR EXCEPT FLIGHTS WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC. CREATED: 08 Apr 2022 12:28:00 SOURCE: LKPRYNYX

Slovakia quite the samePeriod: 2022-05-25T11:05:00.000Z - 2022-08-25T23:59:00.000Z
ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED OR OPERATED OR OTHERWISE CONTROLLED BY CITIZENS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND ALL OPERATORS HOLDING AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY AIRSPACE OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC EXCEPT HUMANITARIAN, SAR AND LEASED AIRCRAFT ONE-WAY RETURN FLIGHTS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE APPROPRIATE SLOVAK AUTHORITIES AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY LANDING OR EMERGENCY OVERFLIGHT. CREATED: 25 May 2022 11:05:00 SOURCE: EUECYIYN

BulgariaPeriod: 2022-05-25T15:44:00.000Z - 2022-08-25T20:59:00.000Z
UKRAINIAN CRISIS: ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED OR OPERATED OR OTHERWISE CONTROLLED BY CITIZENS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND ALL OPERATORS HOLDING AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY BULGARIAN AIRSPACE EXCEPT HUMANITARIAN, SAR AND LEASED AIRCRAFT ONE-WAY RETURN FLIGHTS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE APPROPRIATE BULGARIAN AUTHORITIES AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY LANDING OR EMERGENCY OVERFLIGHT. CREATED: 25 May 2022 15:44:00 SOURCE: LBSFYNYX

RomaniaPeriod: 2022-04-28T11:16:00.000Z - 2022-08-03T20:59:00.000Z
FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS. UKRAINIAN CRISIS - ALL RUSSIAN REGISTERED AIRCRAFT AND AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED OR OPERATED BY NATURAL OR LEGAL PERSONS FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION OR BY OPERATORS HOLDING AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY ROMANIAN AIRSPACE EXCEPT HUMANITARIAN, SAR AND LEASED AIRCRAFT ONE-WAY RETURN FLIGHTS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE APPROPRIATE ROMANIAN AUTHORITIES AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY LANDING OR EMERGENCY OVERFLIGHT. CREATED: 28 Apr 2022 11:17:00 SOURCE: EUECYIYN

Lithuania Period: 2022-05-27T08:00:00.000Z - 2022-09-30T13:00:00.000Z
UKRAINIAN CRISIS - ALL RUSSIAN REGISTERED AIRCRAFT AND AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED OR OPERATED BY NATURAL OR LEGAL PERSONS FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION OR BY OPERATORS HOLDING AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY LITHUANIAN AIRSPACE EXCEPT HUMANITARIAN, SAR AND LEASED AIRCRAFT ONE-WAY RETURN- FLIGHTS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE APPROPRIATE LITHUANIAN AUTHORITIES AND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY LANDING OR EMERGENCY OVER- FLIGHT CREATED: 27 May 2022 08:07:00 SOURCE: EUECYIYN

Nope, not there. I recalled the original wording said 'Chartered for or with a business relation to Russian Natural or Legal Person'.

Sure now it does not.

[Liffy 1M]

Looking at historic flight records on FR24, these are regular flights, e.g. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/tk3152

Therefore I would say it is Turkish substituting for the Russian carriers in order to enable continued functioning of their tourist industry.

[artee]

Apparently it's now Türk Hava Yolları, after Erdoğan changed Turkey to Türkiye. Sorry for the drift.

[Imagegear]

Is Turkey therefore sanctions busting for Russia ?

[andrasz]

Is Turkey therefore sanctions busting for Russia ?
No, Turkey is not part of the EU, it is not party to the sanctions, and has no obligation to observe any. Just like Chinese airlines are merrily doing the trans-siberian route to Europe.
The EU only prohibits Russian (and Belorussian) airlines from entering its airspace, and Russia is banning all EU airlines in return. All other airlines can come and go as they please as log as they have flight plans approved on both sides.

[Imagegear]

Thank you Gentlemen and Ladies,

I think LIFFY 1M has it.

IG

[WHBM]

The fact is the antagonism against Russia is seen as a European / Noth American thing by the rest of the world. Emirates are still running an A380 into Moscow.

[JCviggen]

The fact is the antagonism against Russia is seen as a European / Noth American thing by the rest of the world. Emirates are still running an A380 into Moscow.

And they're actually full (and overbooked)

[ATC Watcher]

These reasons are as valid today as they were in the past. Absolutely. In addition nobody wants another full scale war involving Greece in the region.

[MichaelOLearyGenius]

And they're actually full (and overbooked)

A lot of Russian hookers in Dubai. Still any reasonable country should be boycotting Russia with as many sanctions however minor as possible. Anything that makes life that little more uncomfortable for the Russian citizens may reach a point to spark a revolt against the Kremlin.