Tunisia after overthrowing its president reopened passenger air corridors in three of the country's largest cities on Saturday, national television stations have reported.
The North African country locked down its air space after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled amid protests that turned violent on Friday. The ousted president was reported to have fled to Saudi Arabia after France denied him political asylum.
Tunisia's largest passenger airports in Tunis, Djerba and Monastir were reopened on Saturday and are operating as normal, TV reports said.
Russia's Tourism and Sports Ministry announced earlier in the day that all Russian tourists located in Tunisia will be evacuated on Sunday on a Transaero charter flight out of Moscow.
"If a flight corridor near Tunis is open, they will all leave tomorrow morning on a Transaero flight," Deputy Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies Nadezhda Nazina said.
Alexander Radkov, a deputy head of Russia's tourism department, said there were 253 Russian tourists presently in Tunisia. He said 15 tourists were on individual programs, whereas the remaining were all visiting Tunisia on package tours.
Radkov said the tourists would be evacuated back to Moscow on a Transaero flight out of Habib Bourguiba International Airport in Monastir scheduled for Sunday.
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his country amid protests that turned violent earlier on Friday. The ousted president was reported to have fled to Saudi Arabia after France denied him political asylum.
Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi took over as Tunisia's interim leader on Friday, saying the president was incapable of fulfilling his duties. The country's armed forces entered the capital Tunis and took up key positions around the city, including the presidential palace, ministries and the international airport.
Tunisia plunged into chaos in mid-December, when thousands of people took to the streets to protest the state's economic policies. The violence was sparked when a peddler tried to commit suicide by setting fire to himself after the authorities banned him from selling vegetables in the street without permission.
Riots continued on Friday even after the president dismissed the government and announced early elections. Protestors demanded the immediate resignation of the president, who has been in power since 1987.
CAIRO, January 15 (RIA Novosti)
