Flights between the US and Russia were halted following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia has proposed re-establishing direct flights with the United States as part of ongoing efforts to improve relations. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the proposal after a recent round of discussions in Türkiye.
In 2022, the US, along with other Western countries, prohibited flights and closed its airspace to Russian airlines in response to the escalating conflict in Ukraine. Since then, passengers have had to rely on connecting flights through airports in cities like Istanbul and Dubai.
Russia responded by banning flights from 36 nations it deemed “unfriendly,” including EU members and Canada. This forced Western airlines to change their routes, which resulted in higher fuel consumption and costs. Some European airlines have since criticized the EU’s sanctions on Russia, citing “unfair” competition from Chinese airlines, which are still permitted to fly through Russian airspace.
According to the ministry, the proposal to resume flights was put forth during a meeting with US representatives in Istanbul on Thursday. The discussions, which aimed to repair the diplomatic rift that worsened under the previous US administration, centered on restoring normal operations at diplomatic missions and ensuring suitable operating conditions.
Moscow described the Istanbul discussions as “substantive,” and both parties agreed to continue the dialogue.
“Specifically, the US was invited to consider the possibility of restoring direct air services,” the Russian ministry stated.
However, some experts doubt that direct flights between Russia and the US will resume soon, noting that European airspace is still closed to Russian airlines, which makes direct routes difficult.
The meeting in Türkiye occurred after high-level discussions in Saudi Arabia and a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-US President Donald Trump earlier in February. Trump had indicated that Washington might lift sanctions against Russia “at some point” as part of broader peace talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.