EU bans Belarus overflights following Ryanair ‘hijack’

Economic sanctions are tightening

Belarus airspace is quiet (Flight Radar 24)

European airlines will be banned from flying over Belarus, as sanctions tighten on the country following the recent “hijack” of a Ryanair plane.

EU ambassadors today adopted a plan to ban the bloc’s airlines from overflying the country, three diplomats said.

Belarus airlines will also be banned from flying over EU territory and landing in European airports.

The response is part of wider economic sanctions against Belarus, after a warplane was scrambled to force the diversion of a passenger jet carrying a dissident journalist.

The skies above Belarus have been much quieter than usual, after airlines decided to skirt its airspace following the incident.

The “hijack” occurred on Ryanair flight 4978, which was travelling from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania, on 23 May, to offload journalist Roman Protasevich in Minsk.

The overflight decision will come into effect at midnight Central European Time (CET), barring any last-minute objections by EU states.

Around 400 commercial flights overfly Belarus every day, according to European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol, including 300 overflights of which about 100 are operated by EU or British carriers.

A handful of carriers have already stated their intention to stop overflying Belarus, including Lufthansa, SAS, Air France, LOT, Finnair and airBaltic, leading to quiet skies.

Following the incident, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, instructed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to request airlines avoid Belarusian airspace “in order to keep passengers safe”.

The CAA has issued a notice to all UK-registered airlines requesting that they avoid overflight of any territory of Belarus.

The CAA has also suspended the foreign carrier permit of the Belarus national carrier, Belavia.

The Belarus national carrier runs flights linking Belarus with some 20 airports in Europe including Helsinki, Amsterdam, Milan, Warsaw, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Paris, Rome and Vienna.

Additional reporting by agencies