Moscow - Turkish Airlines has temporarily changed its rules for selling tickets to Russian citizens, who will be able to book a flight with stops in third countries only if Russia is either the point of departure or destination starting Thursday, the Association of Tour Operators Russia (ATOR) told Sputnik.
"The company allows Russians to confirm tickets for any routes, but they all have to start or end in Russia. At the same time, a single ticket for all segments has to be issued, for example, Moscow-Istanbul-Male. You cannot confirm a ticket without a Russian section," ATOR said.
According to the association, the airline is not joining Western sanctions but reacts to problems these sanctions created with transmission of payments from Russian citizens, specifically the blocking of Russian Visa and Mastercard cards.
Russia launched an operation in Ukraine in late February after the breakaway Donbas republics had appealed for help in defending themselves against the Ukrainian military. In response, Western nations have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow.
Last week, Mastercard and Visa announced suspending network services in Russia.
In the meantime, thousands of tourists from Russia are stranded in Thailand, officials said, as unprecedented Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine put a squeeze on Russians struggling to find flights and finances, Reuters reported.
Flight cancellations, a rouble currency in free fall and payment problems from Russian banks being cut off from the global SWIFT system has left more than 7 000 Russians in limbo in locations like Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Krabi, Thailand’s tourism authority chief said.
Related Video: