Russia imposes sweeping flight bans on airlines from 36 countries
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The flight bans are expected to hurt airlines that fly over the world's biggest country to get from Europe to Asia.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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MOSCOW (REUTERS) - Russia has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector.
Some of the banned countries had already been identified, while others were named by Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsia for the first time on Monday (Feb 28), following the punitive measures imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The flight bans are expected to hurt airlines that fly over the world's biggest country to get from Europe to Asia, likely forcing them to find new routes.
Rosaviatsia said flights from those countries could, in exceptional circumstances, be authorised if they secure special clearance from Russia's aviation authority or Foreign Ministry.
It listed the countries as 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, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the invasion of Ukraine a "special operation" and justified it by saying that "neo-Nazis" rule the country and threaten Russia's security - a charge Kyiv and Western governments say is baseless propaganda.
