Ukraine and its neighbors close airspace to civilian flights
Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian flights Thursday after Russia launched a land, sea and air invasion, as Europe’s aviation regulator warned of the dangers of flying in border regions.
Moldova, southwest of Ukraine, also closed its airspace, while Belarus, to the north, said civilian flights could no longer fly over part of its territory after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the military operation.
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Ukraine’s State Air Traffic Services Company reported on its website that the country’s airspace was closed to civilian flights as of 00:45 GMT on Thursday. Air traffic services were suspended, Reuters reported.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said Russian and Belarusian airspace within 100 nautical miles of their borders with Ukraine could also pose safety risks.
“In particular, there is a risk of both intentional attack and misidentification of civil aircraft,” the agency said in a bulletin on the conflict zone.
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“The presence and possible use of a wide range of ground and air warfare systems poses a high risk to civilian flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels.”
The aviation industry has become more aware of the risks that conflicts pose to civil aviation since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014, when fighting in the region intensified.
Safe Airspace, set up to provide security and conflict zone information following the downing of MH17, had hours earlier raised its risk level over Ukraine to “no fly.”
It warned of the possibility of a cyberattack against Ukraine’s air traffic control.
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