Airlines reroute flight paths to avoid Russia, Ukraine

Airlines around the world are rerouting flight paths after the recent surge of airspace-travel restrictions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The European Union barred Russian aircraft from traversing its airspace, consequently triggering Moscow’s reciprocal ban on European aircraft.

By the end of last week, commercial airlines from Europe were warned to avoid Ukrainian airspace, as well as the surrounding nations of Belarus and Moldova. While many flights have been redirected as a result of aviation sanctions, some have been rerouted because of safety precautions.

As of March 2, airlines flying through the region were giving Ukraine a wide berth. The bulk of passenger carriers that were still crossing Russia’s airspace—such as Aeroflot, Rossiya Airlines, Ural Airlines and Utair—is Russian-owned or affiliated. A few international airlines are still operating in the area. Among them are carriers based in countries neighboring Russia, such as Belavia Belarusian Airlines, Air Astana of Kazakhstan and Turkish Airlines.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal