The Russian coal mining unitary enterprise Arktikugol has sent an application to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry to resume charter flights for workers between Moscow and Spitsbergen (Svalbard). In its letter, the company indicates that it wants to resume the flights in mid-September.

The document notes that charter flights are necessary to ensure the uninterrupted and stable operation of the industrial, social and communal infrastructure of the settlements.

Previously, Arktikugol transported workers from Moscow to Longyearbyen by charter airplane. These flights were put on pause during the coronavirus pandemic. The Russian company attempted to revive the flights as early as last October.