The passengers flying to the Crimea from the Russian Federation are powered by Aeromar, a 49% stake in which is owned through British and German subsidiaries Lufthansa.
Contrary to all international law, six regular flights are made from Moscow to the Crimea, as reported in the investigation of the publication Present.
According to the international Internet resource Skyscanner, at the moment you can get to Simferopol by direct flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don and Sochi.
“If Aeroflot initially operated flights through a subsidiary airline Russia, now it flies directly to the Crimea: six flights from Moscow and back, one more flight from Sochi and St. Petersburg,” the statement added.
Journalists found out that Aeromar catering company is engaged in passenger nutrition (Aeroflot owns 51% of the company’s shares, and Lufthansa owns 49% through British and German subsidiaries). An official branch was opened for it in Simferopol. The branch of Aeromar in Simferopol also appears on the official website of public procurement in the Russian Federation.
EU sanctions directly prohibit investment in the tourism and transport sectors in the annexed Crimea. The European Court can officially establish the fact of violation of sanctions upon the appeal of the bodies responsible for sanction control in a specific EU country, “the publication emphasized.
It is reported that reporters sent a request to Aeromaru, but since mid-March they have not received a response. At the head office of the German Lufthansa Group, having received a request, they promised that they would prepare an answer as quickly as possible, but two weeks later they sent a refusal.
According to the UN General Assembly resolution of March 27, 2014, the airspace over the Crimea is closed due to the occupation of the peninsula by Russia. Any flights to and from there violate the laws of Ukraine and international rules. Nevertheless, the Russian authorities of Crimea in April last year commissioned a new terminal at Simferopol Airport.