As of midnight, GMT, Friday February 25, the British government has introduced a ban for all Russian commercial and private aircraft, including all aircraft chartered by Russians, from British airspace. This ban not only affects Aeroflot, but also jets owned or rented by oligarchs.
The government’s Department of Transport published a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) stating that all aircraft “owned, chartered or operated by a person connected with Russia” will be banned from UK airspace. The ban will remain in effect until 23.59 GMT on May 23. While this ban will include the UK’s territorial seas, it cannot prevent planes from flying outside the 12-mile territorial limit.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told the British newspaper Mail Online on Thursday of this week that: “Following the announcement by the Prime Minister in Parliament today, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the foreign carrier permit held by Aeroflot Russia Airlines (Aeroflot) until further notice. This means that Aeroflot will not be permitted to operate flights to or from the United Kingdom until further notice.”
In a subsequent and unsurprising retaliatory tit-for-tat move, on Friday morning Russia announced that all British aircraft were now banned from Russian airspace.
