Turkmenistan Airlines has restored some flights from the UK to India and Asia by enlisting the help of Spanish licensed charter carrier Wamos Air after it was banned from operating in the EU.
The airline was told to suspend operations to and from EU countries until it could prove that it meets international air safety standards. The ban mean flights from Birmingham and Heathrow to points across India, China and Thailand were cancelled.
But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said this morning that Turkmenistan Airlines has resumed some flights from the UK via Ashgabat, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirming the news.
The Turkmenistan Airlines EU website currently displays a message that confirms the flight from Birmingham would operate as normal. It continues: “We will update you once we have received more information from Turkmenistan Airlines regarding the flights scheduled in the near future from the UK (Birmingham and London) and from Germany (Frankfurt).
The airline says “refunds are not permitted” and that passengers on cancelled flights should contact their own travel agent or the carrier directly.
As the flights will be operated by Wamos Air, passengers have been advised to contact Turkmenistan Airlines for more details.
Wamos Air operates a fleet of six B747-400s and five A330-200 aircraft and claims to be the third-leading long-haul carrier in Spain. It regularly offers flights to Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Guatemala, along with its charter operations and wet lease activity.