Air India cancels Delhi-Moscow flight to Russia over insurance validity issue: Sources

As per the sources, Air India has cancelled flights to Russia as the Flight Insurance may not be valid because of the threat perception over the Russian skies.

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As per the sources, Air India has cancelled its flights to Moscow due to concern on insurance validity over the Russian airspace. The Tata Group-owned Air India has been operating twice-a-week flights to Moscow, the capital of Russia from New Delhi. 

Sources have further confirmed that the Flight Insurance may not be valid because of the threat perception over Russian skies. Flight insurance to Air India is being provided by international agencies and they might have cancelled the insurance due to non-validity over the Russian skies. 

Air India has conveyed to the Russian embassy that the passengers are entitled to the full refund for the cancelled flights. Further, the Russian embassy has noted that it is possible to fly now using the transit routes from India to Russia through Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and other destinations.

"Dear fellow citizens. We draw your attention that the Indian airline Air India has stopped selling tickets on the Delhi-Moscow-Delhi route, the prospects for resuming flights of this airline to Russia are uncertain at the moment. According to Air India office, passengers are entitled to the full refund for the canceled flights," the Russian embassy said in a statement in its Telegram channel as per TASS, Russian News Agency. 

Russia earlier announced to resume international flight services to and from 52 countries post-April 9, in order to ease the Covid-19 restrictions, said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in a statement.

It will commence flight services to and from Argentina, South Africa, and other "friendly countries", including India, Mishustin said, meaning those that have not joined the latest wave of Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation" to demilitarize its neighbour.