Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) has started operating some of its charter flights from Far Eastern cities in Russia to Thailand with refuelling stops after Laos closed its airspace to Russian airlines.
The airline confirmed to local media that it was in contact with the Laotian authorities, hoping to secure clearance to fly via the country's airspace. However, as long as the talks are not concluded, it must bypass Laos for flights from Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo, and Novosibirsk to Thailand, one of the most popular international leisure destinations still open to Russian tourists. While for flights operated with A330-300s the development results only in an extension of the flight duration, services flown with B737-800s are forced to operate with a refuelling stop at Irkutsk International, adding some two to three hours to the journey time.
Other Russian airlines flying to Thailand from the Far East, such as Azur Air and Ikar (Russian Federation), deploy long-range aircraft (B757-200s or B777-200s) capable of operating the extended route via Myanmar with no refuelling stops. The need to bypass Laos is not a factor for flights departing from central and western parts of Russia.
Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that Russian airlines were flying through Laotian airspace until the end of November. It is not clear what made the South-Eastern Asian country change its decision regarding overflights. Laos, a single-party communist state, has very close political ties to China.
Simultaneously, the Aviatorshina Telegram channel reported that at least two airlines - iFly Airlines and Nordwind Airlines - were banned from operating over Jordan, an important transit country for flights to Egypt. The latter was forced to cancel its services to Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, as it became practically impossible for them to serve these routes with narrowbody aircraft, while the former will deploy its widebody A330-300s on a circuitous route bypassing Saudi Arabia from the south. Türkiye has previously banned flights (including overflights) of Russian double-registered aircraft, while Saudi Arabia bans all Russian flights and Syrian airspace is still deemed unsafe for commercial operators. Other carriers, including Aeroflot, Red Wings Airlines, Azur Air, and Azimuth, use aircraft legally registered only in Russia and are thus able to fly to Egypt via Türkiye.
