Russian carrier Aeroflot says suspending all flights to Europe

[MOSCOW] Russia's flagship carrier announced on Sunday it was suspending flights to Europe after the European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement came after the EU said on Sunday it would close its airspace to Russian carriers, adding to a litany of sanctions imposed on Russia over its attack on Ukraine.

"Aeroflot is suspending flights of the European route network from February 28, 2022 until further notice," the company said on its website.

The EU's airspace ban prohibits flights into or over the EU by all Russian planes, including private jets.

The measure consolidated what was already de facto largely in place, with many of the EU's 27 nations having individually announced airspace closures to Russian flights.

In response, Russia has barred flights from a number of countries such as Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic. AFP