After UK yesterday banned Russian flag carrier Aeroflot from flying through its airspace, Russian air traffic regulators (Rosaviatsia) announced today that all aircraft “owned, leased, or operated by any person connected with Britain or registered in Britain,” are now banned from flying over Russia.
The restriction came into force at 11am Moscow time (8am GMT) and includes transit flights through Russian airspace, Russian regulators said.
According to Rosaviatsia, the ban was imposed in response to similar “hostile decisions” by the British government.
Rosaviatsia officials claim they sought to conduct consultations with the UK about the ban, but their request was denied, leading to Russia’s decision to reciprocate.
Britain’s Aeroflot ban was part of a package of sanctions imposed to punish Russia for its unprovoked brutal military aggression against Ukraine earlier in the day.
On Thursday morning, Russia launched brutal full-scale assault Ukraine, claiming it was the only option left for Putin’s regime.
The civilized world condemned Russia for its aggression against the sovereign democratic Ukraine. The sanctions imposed against Russia have mostly targeted its financial sector and its ability to import high-tech products.
British Airways owner IAG said on Friday it was avoiding Russian airspace and overflights “for the time being.”
CEO Luis Gallego said that the impact was “not huge because right now we are only flying to a small number of destinations in Asia and we can reroute our flights.”