EU aviation safety regulator advises against flying over Russia until end of July

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recommended that airlines should not use Russian airspace for flights due to the risk of war-related incidents. The recommendation is valid until 31 July 2025 but may be revised earlier if necessary.

Source: European Pravda, with reference to an EASA bulletin issued on 9 January

Details: The new Conflict Zone Information Bulletin expands on the recommendations for flying in Russian airspace previously included in CZIB-2022-01R11 for Ukraine.

It is recommended to avoid flying in Russian airspace west of 60° longitude. The recommendation also applies to air carriers registered outside the EU that operate under EASA authorisations.

The recommendation is valid until 31 July 2025 but may be reviewed earlier if necessary.

"EASA, in cooperation with the European Commission, will continue to closely monitor the situation, to assess the risk exposure for EU and third-country operators conducting flights to/from the European Union," the regulator said.

The statement reiterated that currently no EU airlines fly to Russia or through Russian airspace, but some third-country airlines continue to do so, despite the risks associated with the war.

The new recommendation is likely to have been prompted by the downing of an Azerbaijani Airlines flight from Baku to Grozny. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has demanded that the Russian representatives responsible for the crash be punished.

Background: Recently, a number of Russian airports have suspended operations due to drone attacks and air defence operations.

Read more: The airspace over Russia must be closed

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