The resumption of direct flights between Russia and the United States should result from Washington lifting its sanctions on Aeroflot, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to him, Moscow proposed this to the US over a month ago but has not yet received a response.
"[The resumption of direct air travel between Russia and the US] should follow the removal of sanctions on Aeroflot. We made this proposal more than a month ago, before the mentioned meeting in Riyadh. The Americans acknowledged it, but we have yet to see any response," Lavrov stated.
He noted that during the April 10 meeting in Istanbul, the Russian delegation reminded their American counterparts of the proposal.
After the previous round of talks in Istanbul on February 27, Moscow suggested restoring direct air links with Washington. The US and EU had closed their airspace to Russian aircraft after the start of the military operation in Ukraine. In response, Moscow imposed reciprocal restrictions on 36 countries, requiring their aircraft to obtain special permits from Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On February 24, 2022, Washington imposed export restrictions on aviation-related goods to Russia. For example, aircraft containing more than 25% US-made components required a special license to be exported abroad. Later, Aeroflot lost its US export privileges and was banned from receiving refueling, maintenance, and repairs for certain aircraft, as well as purchasing spare parts.
Moscow considers these Western restrictions illegal. According to Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries—who also participates in the US negotiations—Russia is not asking for sanctions relief, as its economy is "coping well" with the restrictions.