MOSCOW, Russia – Russian officials are considering restricting or even completely prohibiting transit flights by the European carriers, en route from Europe to Asia, through Russian airspace.
According to the source, talks about the possible limitation of transit for European airlines had began shortly after the first EU sanctions against Russia went into effect. The situation worsened after Russian low-cost “Dobrolet” was forced to halt operations, and Ukraine has imposed heavy fines on Russian airlines flying to Crimea, recently annexed by Russia.
According to a senior federal official, the Russian government is currently conducting internal consultations between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the final decision has not yet been made. Representatives of both ministries declined to comment on the situation. A source close to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared though that any “unfriendly EU measures” will be “studied” and “will not go unanswered.”
Western carriers use the shortest route – the Trans-Siberian – to fly from Europe to Asia, and pay transit fees for it to Russia flag carrier “Aeroflot”. Total transit fees paid by foreign airlines total to about $300 million a year.
