In addition to writing for Aviation Week Network, Maxim holds a key position at Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine (www.ato.ru). In the past he was in charge of several ATO sister aerospace publications and earlier worked for the Moscow-based CAST defense think-tank.
Maxim has a degree on international relations from MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, and for several years worked at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russian airlines are banned from making charter flights to Turkey, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Nov. 28, also citing other anti-Turkey measures. These sanctions were imposed after a Turkish air force F-16 downed a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber near the Syria-Turkey border. The charter ban can seriously affect Russian carriers, as Turkey has been the most-popular foreign-leisure destination for Russian citizens. The ban can also affect business-aviation flights between the countries. Sanctions also include a ban on selling travel packages to Turkey.
