On February 28, Russia closed airspace to European Union and Canadian airlines following sanctions from Brussels and Ottawa, which banned Russian airlines from entering the country, as the fighting in Ukraine intensified.
Flights from 36 countries, including 27 EU member states, are prohibited from flying from Russian airspace. This can affect some airlines traveling from Europe to Asia using Russian airspace.
Russia’s air restrictions have been brought about “as a retaliation for European countries’ bans on flights operated by Russian airlines or by civil aviation registered in Russia,” Russian civil aviation authorities said. ..
Russia’s Aeroflot said it would cancel all flights to European destinations accordingly.
Airlines will only be able to enter Russian airspace with special permission.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Officer Josep Borrell announced on February 27 that the EU will close European airspace for Russian airlines.
“We are proposing a ban on all Russian-owned, Russian-registered, or Russian-controlled aircraft. These aircraft may land, take off, or fly over EU territory. Will not be possible, “says Fonde Araien.
Dozens of flights were canceled or detoured as the cost of the airspace crisis hit the airline’s share.
On Monday, US and European airlines’share fell by 4%, while Finnair’s state-owned airline Finnair’s share fell by 21%.
The new measures mean that some international flights will have to make long detours on certain routes that are inaccessible to Russian airspace, which could increase the cost of tickets.
Some airlines are directing their flights south, avoiding the tensions of the Middle East.
Rerouting has tripled Kazakhstan’s airspace from more than 450 flights.
Russia banned British airlines last week after Britain banned Russia’s flagship carriers Aeroflot and private jets.
Lufthansa canceled 30 flights to Russia this week. Flights from Europe to Tokyo and Seoul had to fly on detours that the company had the necessary flight rights.
Lufthansa’s subsidiary, Airlines Switzerland, said it would cancel its February 28 flight from Zurich to Moscow and not fly over Russian territory due to uncertain regulatory conditions.
Singapore Airlines said it will suspend all services between Singapore and Moscow for “operational reasons” until further notice.
South Korean and Japanese aircraft carriers said they would continue to use Russian airspace, but had no plans to add flights to Russia or Europe to replace flights canceled by Western aircraft carriers.
The United Arab Emirates has suspended flights to two cities in southern Russia until March 8 while continuing flights from Dubai to Moscow and seven other Russian destinations.
Airspace restrictions and flight cancellations can seriously impact freight transport across the Eurasian continent, further disrupting the supply chain.
“Lufthansa will no longer use Russian airspace due to the dramatic development of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” said Lufthansa Cargo.
US-owned UPS and FedEx have also stopped shipping to Russia.
Washington is considering a similar action, but has not yet made a final decision, according to US officials.
The U.S. Department of State is demanding that U.S. citizens leave Russia soon as the number of airlines canceling flights over Russian airspace is increasing.
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Brian S. Jung is from New York City and is a resident with a background in the political and legal industry. He graduated from Binghamton University.