- The change in the flight path must be approved by the authorities
- Russian officials refused to give their approval to Austrian Airlines
- As a result, Austrian Airlines was forced to cancel today’s flight from Vienna to Moscow
Austrian Airlines has canceled today’s flight from Vienna to Moscow after Russia’s aviation authorities refused to accept Austrian Airlines’ alternative route bypassing Belarus airspace.
“Austrian Airlines has suspended flights over Belarusian airspace until further notice based on the recommendation from the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). For this reason, it is also necessary to adjust the flight route from Vienna to Moscow. The change in the flight path must be approved by the authorities. Russian officials did not give their approval to us. As a result, Austrian Airlines was forced to cancel today’s flight from Vienna to Moscow,” Austrian Airlines representative said responding to a request to comment on Thursday’s cancellation of a flight from Vienna to Moscow.
On May 25, Austrian Airlines said that the air carrier decided to suspend flights through Belarusian airspace and circumvent Belarus in connection with the EU’s decision in the wake of Belarusian state-sponsored hijacking of a Ryanair plane in Belarus on May 23. The flight from Vienna to Moscow, scheduled for May 27, was not supposed to fly over Belarus.
On May 26, the Austrian Ministry of Transport said that the EASA issued a security information bulletin in which European airlines were advised to avoid Belarusian airspace.
On Wednesday, Air France also had to cancel a flight from Paris to Moscow after Russia refused to approve the route avoiding Belarusian airspace.