Aeroflot ban: British Airways suspends flights to Moscow as Russia retaliates

Russia’s Federal Agency for Aviation said in a statement on Friday that it would ban flights in the country’s airspace registered in the United Kingdom and leased, operated or operated by someone associated with the United Kingdom.

The Russian company said the move was in response to a UK government decision on Thursday to ban Russian flights from British airspace. That was part of it Set of obstacles Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Russia occupied Ukraine.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but this is beyond our control,” British Airways said in a statement. “We notify customers of canceled services and get a full refund.”

BA flew to Moscow three times a week. It said some services would have to be shifted to Asia, which would result in longer flight times.

Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot operates direct flights between Moscow and London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports, according to its website.

The UK Transport Department said in a bulletin that “no aircraft connected to Russia or owned, licensed or operated on a scheduled service operated in Russia will fly in UK airspace”. The restrictions went into effect at midnight and will expire on May 23.

Russia’s offensive has already been forced Ukrainian airspace closureAnd the fall will lead to more carriers diverting flights, adding to costs as fuel prices rise.

Reuters reports that the European Union’s Air Defense Agency has warned that Ukraine’s skies and airspace in Russia and Belarus could pose dangerous within 100 nautical miles from the border with Ukraine.

“Right now we only fly to a limited number of destinations in Asia and can change our flights because the impact on us is not huge,” said Luis Galego, CEO of IAG, the parent company of British Airways in Iberia. Air Links and Wooling.

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– Rob North, Pete Mundin, Anna Chernova and Vasco da Gama were involved in the reporting.

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