After having procrastinated somewhat, France resolved to close its airspace in turn “to Russian planes and airlines” and this, from Sunday February 27 in the evening. With this decision, the French authorities are following in the footsteps of many European countries which have chosen to prohibit their overflight by planes from Russian companies, in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
Thus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Moldova or even the United Kingdom then, in a second phase, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg had already decreed the closure of their airspace. Before deciding to adopt the same measure, France, which stated that it was considering the “principle of closing its airspace”, first wanted to appeal “to rapid European coordination on the subject”. “To the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe responds with total unity”announced Sunday, on Twitter, the Minister Delegate for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari.
Shortly following France, it was the European Union (EU) that suggested closing the skies of the Old Continent to Russian aircraft. ” We propose [aux Vingt-Sept] to ban all aircraft owned by Russians, registered in Russia or controlled by Russian interests. They will no longer be able to land, take off or fly over EU territory,” asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Earlier on Sunday, following a meeting organized at the start of the followingnoon, the Air France group announced that it « [avait] decided to suspend service and overflight of Russia as of February 27 and until further notice”. A measure that involves “the suspension, since Sunday morning and until further notice, of flights to and from Moscow and Saint Petersburg”the airline said.
Negative consequences on fuel consumption
In retaliation, Russia has also decided to ban the overflight of its territory. This forces European carriers to review their flight schedules, particularly to Asia. Air France has chosen a “temporary suspension of flights to and from China, Korea and Japan”. The company wants to give “the time to study the flight plan options to avoid Russian airspace, in compliance with the directives of the French and international authorities”.
It must be said that bypassing Russia by the north, or more likely by the south, to serve China or Japan, will force companies to modify their route. “The world is a gruyere. It becomes slalom to avoid overflying prohibited areas. After Iran, Iraq, Mali, then Crimea and Donbass, it’s Russia’s turn.”worries an Air France long-haul pilot.
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