Berlin – German flag-carrier Lufthansa on Tuesday defended its decision to bar Russians from boarding an international flight with a layover in Frankfurt, citing visa requirements.
Russian holidaymakers heading to Serbia, Montenegro and Mexico complained online that they hadn’t been allowed to board Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-bound flight in Istanbul because they had no Schengen visas.
Russians are not typically required to have transit visas to make a layover at the German air hub. Istanbul border agents said they acted on oral instructions of the German migration agency.
"As an airline, we are required to inspect visa documents of every single passenger requested by the country of destination or transit.
“These requirements are set by the country of destination or transit based on the passenger's nationality, among other things," a Lufthansa spokesperson told Sputnik.
The air carrier confirmed that Russians had been denied boarding but argued this was not due to any new government regulations.
This comes four days after the European Commission recommended that EU nations tighten security checks of Russians arriving in the borderless Schengen area.
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