This is the airspace of Ukraine 0:40
(CNN) —
Ukraine's airspace is currently closed in the wake of the Russian invasion.
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Ukraine's neighbor Moldova has also closed its airspace, as has part of Belarus.
And a growing list of countries have banned Russian planes.
Estonia, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia will ban Russian airlines from their airspace, the countries announced on Saturday.
The UK, Poland, Moldova and the Czech Republic previously closed their airspace to Russian airlines following their attack on Ukraine.
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The US government's Federal Aviation Administration has told American pilots to avoid "the entire country of Ukraine, the entire country of Belarus, and a western part of Russia."
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, known as EASA, has warned of a "high risk" for civil aircraft flying near the Ukrainian border.
Countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have advised their citizens to leave Ukraine, and both the United States and the United Kingdom have advised against all travel to Ukraine.
Here's what we know about how travel in Eastern Europe and Russia could be affected in the wake of the conflict.
Image shows empty airspace over Ukraine and its border with Russia
Can I still fly to Eastern Europe?
Air traffic continues to move out of severely affected areas.
In addition to bordering Russia, Ukraine also borders Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova.
EASA doubled the size of the warning zone around Ukraine on February 25, fearing "medium-range missiles will penetrate controlled airspace."
The zone was expanded from 100 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles from Ukraine's border with Russia.
EASA says the expanded area now takes into account the "risk posed by the threat of missile launches to and from Ukraine".
Moldova has closed its airspace, while Belarus has banned flights over part of the country.
All countries bordering Ukraine were already on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Tier 4 list of highest-risk travel destinations for covid-19.
The US government also warns against traveling to Belarus and Moldova due to the conflict.
Florida-based travel consultant Gwen Kozlowski, a Central European travel specialist and president of travel agency Exeter International, told CNN Travel on February 24 that her agency has received questions from travelers about upcoming trips to Poland. , but so far there have been no cancellations.
"We have guests traveling at the end of March and into April to Poland, but that's more than a month. It's impossible to say now how this will play out. We're basically in wait-and-see mode," Kozlowski said by email.
Przemysłlaw Marczewski, a representative of the Polish National Tourism Organization, told CNN Travel on February 25 that "travel to Poland is calm and the borders of the Republic of Poland with neighboring countries are not closed."
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Marczewski noted that Poland's land borders with Ukraine have been opened to refugees and the travel industry is supporting Ukrainian citizens with temporary hotel accommodation.
Tourists with short-term plans to visit Poland are advised to book accommodation in advance, "as part of the hotel infrastructure may be earmarked for those in need."
My flight is supposed to fly over Ukrainian airspace.
Will it be diverted?
This ADS-B Exchange aircraft tracker image taken at 11:15 am ET on February 24 shows empty airspace over Ukraine and its border with Russia.
(adsexchange.com)
If you are flying on a route that would normally cross the currently blocked airspace, the airline will divert the flight.
Images from February 24 from the ADS-B Exchange aircraft tracker showed empty airspace over Ukraine and its border with Russia.
"For aviation, safety is always the top priority," Willie Walsh, director general of the airline industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said in a statement provided to CNN. Travel on February 24.
"IATA is helping to facilitate the exchange of relevant and timely information with airlines from government and non-government sources to support airlines as they plan their operations around the closure of airspace in Ukraine and parts of Russia."
Can I still travel to Russia?
Russian airspace on the border with Ukraine is closed to civilian flights.
There are also some restrictions on domestic flights within Russia.
Britain banned Russian civilian aircraft from entering its airspace and over its territorial sea from February 24 to May 23.
Russian airline Aeroflot usually operates direct flights between Moscow and London-Heathrow and Gatwick, according to its website.
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In response, on February 25, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, imposed a ban on UK-registered flights, as well as aircraft owned, leased or operated by a person associated with the UK, from transit through Russian airspace.
Poland, Moldova and the Czech Republic also banned Russian planes from entering their airspace, followed on February 26 by Estonia, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia.
LOT Polish Airlines has suspended flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
"Alternate flight routes will be planned for transit flights," the airline said in a statement to CNN Travel.
Delta Air Lines has suspended its codeshare with the Russian national airline Aeroflot.
The US State Department issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for Russia in January citing "continued tension along the border with Ukraine, the potential for harassment against US citizens, the embassy's limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia," as well as covid-19 and other factors.
The UK's advice to its citizens from February 25 was more specific, advising against all but essential travel to certain Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
The UK government also details information about increased restrictions and disruptions on Russian domestic flights, as well as warnings about increased police presence and identity checks.
Canadian citizens are advised to avoid traveling to regions of Russia bordering Ukraine.
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"Most of our travelers from Russia seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach at the moment, but of course this could change depending on how events unfold," travel agent Kozlowski told CNN Travel via email. on February 24.
Meanwhile, popular travel author Rick Steves, who organizes tours, announced Thursday that he will cancel tours in Russia for the rest of the year.
"Our mission in (Rick Steves' Europe) is to help Americans understand the world through travel," Steves tweeted.
“But when we bring travelers to Russia, we also bring their dollars, dollars that would support Putin's aggression.
We have now canceled all 2022 tours to Russia."
How long will travel be affected?
The situation in Ukraine is advancing rapidly.
It is not clear how long the airspace over Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus or Russia will be affected.
According to the UK government's travel advisory, restrictions on domestic flights in Russia are currently in place until March 2.
CNN's Sharon Braithwaite, Pete Muntean, Antonia Mortensen, Ivana Kottasova, Anna Chernova and Vasco Cotovio contributed to this report.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
