Airlines from 36 countries have banned flights in Russian airspace

Russia closed airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 European Union members, in response to sanctions targeting the Russian aviation sector.

Some banned countries have already been identified, while the Russian aviation authority named others for the first time on Monday, following punitive measures imposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The flight ban is expected to particularly hurt airlines flying over the world’s largest country to move from Europe to Asia, as they will be forced to look for new routes.

Rozavyatsia said that flights from these countries may be allowed, in exceptional circumstances, if they obtain special permission from the Russian Aviation Authority or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Countries include Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, British Virgin Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Greece, Denmark, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Jersey, Ireland, Iceland, Italy and Latvia. Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the invasion of Ukraine as a “special operation” and justified it by saying that “neo-Nazis” rule the country and threaten Russia’s security – an accusation that Kiev and Western governments say is baseless propaganda.

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