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Russia refuses to land - EU announces examination

2021-05-30T19:44:34.120Z


The EU suspects that Russia deliberately forbids landings by European airlines in order to force the use of Belarusian airspace. The Kremlin denies it, but several flights have already been canceled.


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EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell

Photo: POOL / REUTERS

Is Russia trying to force European airlines to fly via Belarus?

The European Union now wants to examine that.

This is based on the assumption that Russia deliberately refuses aircraft from landing if the aircraft does not want to cross Belarusian airspace.

It is unclear whether Russia decides on a case-by-case basis or whether it is a "general approach," said EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell.

There are already "a few cases" of refused landings or take-offs for European planes, he said.

"With Russia there is always the risk of escalation."

Several flights have been canceled

The French airline Air France had to cancel a flight from Paris to Moscow on Wednesday because Russia had not approved a route change to avoid Belarusian airspace.

For the same reason, an Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to Moscow was canceled on Thursday.

Another Air France flight to Moscow was affected on Friday.

The Kremlin stated that the reason for the cancellation of the Moscow flights was purely "technical" in nature.

It is primarily about "ensuring air traffic control," said spokesman Dmitri Peskow.

A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry had previously announced that the closure of Belarusian airspace to European airlines was "irresponsible" and endangered the safety of passengers.

Route changes on hundreds of flights would create "colossal problems for citizens."

Putin meets Lukashenko

The EU heads of state and government agreed on Monday to block the airspace for aircraft from Belarus and a landing ban at EU airports, even if there were warnings of the measure.

The background to the EU decision was the forced stopover of a passenger plane by the Belarusian authorities and the subsequent arrest of the government critic Roman Protassewitsch in Minsk, who was on board the affected Ryanair plane.

Many airlines have stopped flying through Belarusian airspace since then.

Amid the worldwide outrage over the forced landing of the Ryanair plane, Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi on Friday.

Putin is considered to be the last strong ally of the ruler in Minsk, who brutally suppressed anti-government protests last year.

lau / AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-05-30

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