In a news conference on July 29, Alexander Neradko, head of Russia’s civil aviation regulator (Rosaviatsia), confirmed his readiness to discuss the resumption of air links between the two countries with Ukraine's aviation authorities.
Neradko was asked about a petition that had appeared on the website of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky demanding a resumption of air traffic with Russia, stating that Ukrainians could not see their families because of the ban that has halted passenger and freight traffic since October 25, 2015.
"We have always been ready, and now I confirm that we are ready for full-fledged negotiations with the aviation administration of Ukraine on all issues related to air traffic," Neradko responded.
Russia’s civil aviation chief told RIA Novosti in April that he had proposed negotiations to resume scheduled and charter flights. But on July 29, he said that so far there had been no contacts or meetings with the Ukrainian side on the issue.
Direct flights between the two countries were stopped in a tit-for-tat fashion in 2015 during the standoff over Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Around 657,000 passengers flew between Ukraine and Russia in the first half of 2015, Reuters reported at the time. On April 3, 2019, the Ukrainian government also banned all unscheduled flights to Russia after a visit to Moscow by two opposition politicians.
