YanAir (YE, Kyiv Igor Sikorsky) along with Wizz Air Ukraine (Kyiv Igor Sikorsky), Ukraine International Airlines (PS, Kyiv Boryspil), and Dniproavia (Dnipro) have all been banned from transiting Russian airspace with immediate effect.
The Interfax news agency says Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) has banned the airlines from operating flights to Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, using its airspace. However, Ukrainian airlines are still allowed to operate through Russian airspace on flights from/to Russia.
Labelling the ban "destructive" and "a tool of political pressure," Ukraine Int'l Airlines said it would suffer heavy financial penalties as a result.
"Russia’s unilateral actions of banning flights force UIA to significantly lengthen its air routes from Ukraine to the East. This will lead to increase in operating costs by 15-20%, as well as to flight delays, which will cause significant discomfort to passengers," it said.
In May, Ukrainian authorities moved to ban Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) and Transaero Airlines (Moscow Vnukovo) from serving the beleaguered eastern Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk in the wake of heavy fighting in the region.
