Slovenia bans Aeroflot flights

Russian carriers are poised to discontinue the majority of their European flights after a number of European Union member states closed their airspace to all Russian registered aircraft in response to the war in Ukraine, with most other members expected to follow suit in the coming days. Slovenia is the first from the former Yugoslavia to do so. "The government made a decision to ban aircraft registered in the Russian Federation and operators with headquarters in the Russian Federation from flying in the airspace of the Republic of Slovenia", a statement from the Slovenian government said. Ljubljana is served by four weekly Aeroflot flights from Moscow, which have now been suspended.

The Russian national carrier also maintains daily flights from Moscow to Zagreb, and a one weekly service from St Petersburg. Its subsidiary, Rossiya Airlines, also operates a one weekly service from Russia’s second largest city, while Nordwind Airlines maintains two weekly rotations from Moscow. This morning’s Aeroflot flight from the Russian capital to Zagreb is taking over an hour longer than usual as the airline tries to navigate airspace bans. Serbia, which sees daily Aeroflot and one weekly Nordwind Airlines flights from Moscow to Belgrade, as well as a one weekly rotation from St Petersburg by both the Russian flag carrier and Nordwind, has ruled out the introduction of sanctions, however, Russian registered aircraft may soon be unable to reach the country due airspace bans having been imposed by Baltic states, Romania and Bulgaria, with Germany announcing it will soon follow. Nordwind Airlines also maintains a two weekly service from Moscow to Skopje, which may also be unable to move forward as the situation evolves.

Russia has seemingly reciprocated, with several EU carriers being refused approval to fly over Russian territory, disrupting a number of services from Western Europe to Far East Asia. Some European airlines, such as Lufthansa, have voluntarily suspended operations to and over Russia.

As a result of the bans, Air Serbia could become one of the few European carriers able to operate into Russia. The airline currently maintains eight weekly flights to Moscow and two weekly to Saint Petersburg. During the summer season, the carrier also runs operations to Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don, while it plans to inaugurate services to Sochi from June. At this week’s Connect Route Development Forum, which took place in Tampere in Finland, Kazan Airport officials held talks with Air Serbia over potential operations from Belgrade. Representatives from Kazan Airport were the only ones from Russia present at the event, with talks taking place prior to military action in Ukraine.