What should those who planned to fly to Azerbaijan or transit through it do?

The crisis in political relations between Russia and Azerbaijan is gaining momentum. The parties never tire of accusing each other of all sins. The detentions of Azerbaijani entrepreneurs in Russia and the arrest of Russians in Azerbaijan with the demonstrative use of force have raised the question: how safe is it for ordinary citizens of the Russian Federation to go to Baku?

It seems that there are no guarantees of safe border crossings now. And so the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, warns Russians.

— Russian citizens who are in Azerbaijan or planning a trip there must take into account the current situation.

Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategic Research and Forecasting at RUDN University Evgeny Semibratov recommends avoiding any visits to the neighboring country.

— The border will not be closed, but I would refrain from traveling.

The Russian Embassy in the Republic has already officially reported on the problems of Russian tourists in Azerbaijan:

— Over the past 24 hours, the embassy has received numerous requests from citizens of the Russian Federation who are in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including for tourism purposes. They reported the arrival of people in civilian clothes at their places of residence (some of whom introduced themselves as police officers), who inquired about the purpose of the Russians' stay in the country and checked their documents. According to some of those who contacted them, physical violence was used against them and their family members.

But just recently, last year, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation Rahman Mustafayev stated that the republic was striving to enter the list of top foreign destinations for Russians...

It is possible that the conflict will lead to the suspension of flights between Moscow and Baku. Unfortunately, history knows many cases when air traffic was interrupted for political reasons.

Georgia was particularly notable. The first time air traffic was interrupted was in 2006 after Russian officers were arrested in Georgia on charges of espionage. This blockade lasted for two years. Then planes stopped flying in August 2008 amid the conflict over South Ossetia. And again, a two-year break. The third time, air traffic was interrupted was in 2019 after anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi. The restrictions lasted for four years.

Azerbaijani airline Azal has a habit of voluntarily canceling flights to Russia. They were suspended in March 2022 due to the start of the SVO, in December 2024 - due to the crash of the Baku-Grozny flight, in February 2025 - due to a drone attack on Russian territory. All for the sake of safety. Even now, it is possible that you will buy a ticket to Baku and end up staying home.

If you are not planning to stay in Azerbaijan, but are considering this country as a transit hub, should you cancel your plans?

Direct flights between Russia and Europe have long ceased to exist, but tourists have quickly mastered bypass routes with transfers in Belgrade, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Istanbul and Baku.

It is enough to get a Schengen visa, and you can hit the road. Last year, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), 565 thousand Schengen visas were issued - 25% more than in 2023. Oddly enough, the refusal rate remains at a consistently low level: 10.6%.

Many Russians do not consider European countries for summer vacations by the sea after 2022, but in vain. With current prices for tours to Turkey and Egypt, resorts in Italy, Spain, Croatia and Montenegro no longer seem prohibitively expensive. Of course, you will have to give up "all inclusive", but local cafes and restaurants with excellent Mediterranean cuisine await you.

You can fly to Rome via Yerevan for 38 thousand rubles, but then you will have to deal with the Armenian low-cost airline FlyOne.

Passengers complain about this company en masse: you have to pay 40 euros to check in for a flight, passengers are not even offered plain water on board the plane - it must be bought, and only for cash. Even boarding a disabled person in a wheelchair is a paid service.

And the main problem is that flights are often postponed, and not for an hour or two, but for 2-3 days and in any direction without compensation for extra expenses. A flight via Yerevan is a total lottery.

Flying via Istanbul is much more reliable. But you will either have to put up with the inconveniences of the low-cost airline Ajet, which was also noticed in flight delays, or overpay: a flight with Pegasus airline will cost 45 thousand rubles per person one way.

Air Serbia offers a wide range of flights to European resorts. The Serbs should not let you down! With a transfer in Belgrade, you can fly to almost any point in Italy - you won't have to waste time on ground transportation. But a ticket to Rome with luggage will cost 640 euros in mid-July. Few can afford to pay 60 thousand rubles for a one-way ticket.

Three planes fly to Belgrade daily, and the main carrier to Istanbul is Turkish Airlines. There are many flights, but one Moscow-Istanbul ticket in July 2025 will cost 45 thousand rubles. Tbilisi is not particularly popular due to the small number of direct flights to Europe. If you miss your connecting flight, you will be stuck in Georgia for a long time.

There are plenty of options to fly to Europe in 2025. But before making a choice, study all the details. Read reviews about the airline, ticket return rules and the carrier's obligations in case of a departure time change in advance.

Travelers from Russia face risks at every step. But if you do everything right, you can still enjoy a vacation at European resorts and stroll through ancient cities.