Russia Denies El Al Route to St. Petersburg, Citing Aeroflot Ban

El Al, Israel's national airline, sought to resume flights to Russia by proposing a new route to St. Petersburg instead of Moscow, citing security concerns in the Russian capital. However, Russian authorities denied the request, reportedly as a retaliatory measure because Israel has not permitted Russia's state-owned airline, Aeroflot, to land in Israel.

While Israel's Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority have not ruled out Aeroflot's arrival, sources indicate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is behind the decision to deny landing rights. This contrasts with another Russian private airline, Red Wings, which currently lands in Israel. El Al suspended its flights to Moscow due to recent drone attacks and has no current plans to restart the route.

Earlier, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency stated it had not received notifications from foreign airlines about ceasing operations due to security issues. The agency's head, Dmitry Yadrov, mentioned cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization regarding flights to and from Russia, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warning about flight safety in the country.