Russia blocks EU flights in support Belarus after plane diversion.
Russia on Thursday blocked three flights from the European Union (EU) to Moscow by refusing to allow Air France and Austrian Airlines to change routes in order to bypass Belarusian territory, in a show of support for Belarus in its latest confrontation with the West.
“The Presidential Administration is not engaged in air traffic control,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed at his daily press briefing.
The spokesman made this comment after two Air France and one Austrian Airlines flights bound for Moscow had to be cancelled due to Russia’s refusal to offer them an alternative to overflying Belarus, EFE reported.
“A rerouting must be approved by the authorities. The Russian authorities have not issued such authorization,” an Austrian Airlines spokeswoman summed up the reason why flight OS601 between Vienna and Moscow had to be cancelled,
The French airline in turn had to cancel two flights to Moscow – one yesterday and one tomorrow – because the Russian authorities require “a new authorization” to enter Russian territory after the change of route.
For its part, Belarus’ national airline, Belavia, announced the cancellation of flights to eight countries as of Thursday due to the EU’s closure of airspace for the company.
A large part of European airlines have decided to follow the recommendation issued last 24th by EU leaders to avoid Belarusian airspace, this after the forced diversion to Minsk airport ordered last Sunday by Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko of a Ryanair flight covering the Athens-Vilnius route, on the grounds of a bomb threat on board.
The measure was used to detain an opposition journalist, Roman Protasevich, and his girlfriend, Russian citizen Sofia Sapega.
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