War in Ukraine: Europe’s airspace closes with Russian planes

In retaliation at the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow, the EU countries and Canada, the United Kingdom and Iceland prohibit the overview of their territory in Russian devices. Air France also suspended its links with the country of Vladimir Putin.

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After having somewhat procrastinated, France resolved to close its airspace “with aircraft and Russian airlines” as from Sunday, February 27 at night. With this decision, the French authorities follow the step to many European countries who have chosen to prohibit their overview by planes of Russian companies, in retaliation at the invasion of Ukraine.

So, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Moldova or the United Kingdom and then, in a second step, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg had already decreed the closure of their airspace. Before resolving to adopt the same measure, France, which declared to reflect the “principle of closing its airspace”, first wanted to call “to a rapid European coordination on the subject”. “At the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Europe responds with a total unit,” said Sunday, on Twitter, the Minister Delegate to Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari.

Shortly after France, it is the European Union (EU) that suggested the closure of the old continent’s sky with Russian devices. “We propose [for the twenty-seven] to prohibit all the planes belonging to Russians, registered in Russia or controlled by Russian interests. They will not be able to land, take off or fly over the territory of the EU,” requested the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Earlier Sunday, after a meeting organized in the early afternoon, the Air France Group reported that it “[had] decided to suspend the service and overview of Russia as of February 27 and until further notice “. A measure that involves the suspension, since Sunday morning and until further notice, flights to and from Moscow and St. Petersburg, “said the airline.

Negative consequences for consumption fuel

As a retortion, Russia also decided to prohibit the overview of its territory. This requires European carriers to review their flight programs, including asia. Air France has chosen a “temporary suspension of flights to and from China, Korea and Japan”. The company wants to give itself “the time to study the options of flight plans to avoid the Russian airspace, in accordance with the directives of the French and international authorities”.

It must be said that the circumvention of Russia by the North, or more likely by the South, to serve China or Japan, will compel the companies to modify their course. “The world is a Gruyère. This becomes slalom to avoid prohibited areas of overview. After Iran, Iraq, Mali, then Crimea and Donbass, it’s the turn of Russia”, S ‘ worries a long-haul pilot of Air France.

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/Media reports.