Russia bans British airlines calling it the need of response

Russia banned British airlines from landing at Russia’s airports. The Russian civil aviation regulator stated that Russia banned British airlines. It refrains the crossing from airspace.

Russia mentioned that this act was a response to “the decisions by the UK aviation authorities”. Later, the UK banned Russia’s national airline Aeroflot from landing in Britain. This move was a part of sanctions introduced following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ben Wallace, UK Defense Secretary, informs ITV that the banning of Aeroflot in the UK serves tit for tat.

Rosaviatsia is Russia’s civil aviation authority. He stated, “This measure was under the provisions of the Intergovernmental Air Services. The Agreement between Russia and the UK was a response to decisions by the UK. The aviation authorities put restrictions on regular flights of planes. The owned, leased, or operated by a person associated with Russia stands restricted.

British airlines, in a statement, notified its customers about canceled services. They also mentioned offering full refunds.

They stated that they apologized for the inconvenience, but this issue was beyond their control. Also they will continue to watch the situation. The British airline operates three flights a week between London and Moscow.

Virgin Atlantic also adjusted some of its services between the UK, Pakistan, and India. This was after Russia’s announcement. Flight times on these routes got extended by 15 minutes and an hour.

Virgin Atlantic also apologized for the delays. They stated that the customer’s security is prime to them. They are also monitoring the situations in Ukraine and Russia carefully. Data provider Cirium stated that Aeroflot and British Airways are the only carriers. It served the purpose between the UK and Russia.

Aeroflot runs more services between the UK and Russia. Hence, it is suffering more than its British counterpart. However, the UK is also banning British airlines. This is resulting in the re-routing of some flights. It definitely adds up the time and fuel costs.

Credits: BBC