A French airport operator with state backing has reportedly continued to provide services to Russian and Iranian airlines subject to European Union and U.S. sanctions, raising questions about the effectiveness of Western blacklists targeting Moscow and Tehran.
TAV Airports, a subsidiary of Groupe ADP—majority controlled by the French government and owner of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport—has been servicing flights operated by Russia’s Ural Airlines at Antalya Airport in Turkey. Ural Airlines was placed under EU sanctions in June 2024 amid the bloc’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The operation occurs through a joint venture that TAV maintains with Germany’s Fraport.
Since at least September 21, Antalya Airport’s online schedule has listed over 54 Ural Airlines flights, primarily connecting Russian cities such as Volgograd and Moscow. TAV’s fully owned subsidiary, Havaş, is identified as the ground handler for these Ural flights at Antalya. While the Turkish authorities ultimately decide which flights are permitted to land, TAV collects fees for a range of services, including boarding and security, in line with standard airport operations.
Initially, the EU sanctions on Ural Airlines applied directly only to entities within the European Union, which excluded overseas subsidiaries like Turkey-based TAV from immediate restrictions. However, from February 2025 onward, the EU introduced a supplementary requirement instructing companies to use their “best efforts” to avoid undermining sanctions through their non-EU entities. European Commission guidelines caution that failure to meet these compliance efforts may expose companies to legal penalties. “Best efforts” are defined as “all actions that are necessary and feasible” to ensure adherence to the sanctions.
A senior international sanctions lawyer interviewed for this report observed that Groupe ADP’s involvement with Ural Airlines could be seen as contravening the intent of EU sanctions. The lawyer also expressed skepticism that a contractual obligation alone would exempt an EU company from responsibility over a non-EU subsidiary’s actions.
In response, Groupe ADP affirmed it is committed to strictly complying with all relevant regulations and sanctions. TAV Airports reiterated its position that it has not breached any sanctions and emphasized that it does not control airline traffic at Antalya Airport. The company maintained that, when servicing sanctioned carriers, it limits its engagement to the minimal level of services mandated by local laws and civil aviation authorities, without violating EU or U.S. sanctions.
Similarly, Fraport stated that it operates fully within applicable laws and sanctions regimes and remains dedicated to maintaining compliance in its business activities.
Enforcement of EU sanctions is the responsibility of individual member states. France’s economics and finance ministry, along with L’Agence des participations de l’État, the government agency overseeing state corporate investments, declined to comment on the matter. The European Commission also refrained from commenting on specific cases.