Flights To Belarus: Cancelled Or Still Operational?

In 2021, several countries banned flights to Belarus after a Ryanair plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Minsk, leading to the arrest of opposition journalist Roman Protasevich. The EU, UK, Ukraine, and Finland imposed sanctions on Belarus, with the EU urging its airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace. Russia responded by denying entry to its airspace to European airlines that planned to avoid flying over Belarus. This resulted in the cancellation of flights to Moscow operated by Austrian Airlines and Air France.

The EU bans flights from flying over Belarus

The European Union (EU) has banned Belarusian airlines from flying over its airspace or landing in its airports. This decision affects around 400 civilian flights that usually fly over Belarus every day, including 300 overflights and about 100 operated by EU or British carriers. This move is in response to the arrest of journalist and opposition figure Roman Protasevich by the Belarusian government. Protasevich was flying from Greece to Lithuania on a Ryanair flight when it was ordered by Belarusian officials to make an emergency landing in Minsk due to a bomb threat. Upon landing, Protasevich and his girlfriend were arrested by authorities who had boarded the plane.

In addition to banning Belarusian airlines from its airspace, the EU has also urged its airlines to avoid flying over Belarus. This has led to the cancellation of several flights to Moscow as Russia has denied carriers permission to fly to Russia if they do not enter via Belarusian airspace. For example, Air France and Austrian Airlines have both cancelled flights to Moscow due to a lack of clearance from Russia to change their routes to avoid Belarus.

The EU's decision to ban Belarusian airlines from its airspace is not the first time it has taken such action. In 2021, the EU banned Belarusian carriers from using its airspace in response to the diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 to Minsk. Additionally, in 2022, the EU banned Russian-owned, Russian-registered, or Russian-controlled aircraft from taking off, landing, or flying over EU airspace due to the invasion of Ukraine.

The ban on Belarusian flights has caused tension between the EU and Belarus, with the latter taking retaliatory action. Following the EU's announcement, the Belarusian government ordered a reduction in staff at the U.S. Embassy in Minsk and restricted visa procedures. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry also revoked permission for USAID to work in the country. These moves come in response to the Biden administration's reimplementation of sanctions against nine state-owned enterprises in Belarus.

Russia denies entry to its airspace to airlines avoiding Belarus

Russia has denied entry to its airspace to airlines avoiding Belarus, in what has been seen as an act of retaliation for the EU's condemnation of Belarus. Air France and Austrian Airlines have been denied entry into Russian airspace, forcing them to cancel certain flights.

In a statement, Air France confirmed the cancellation of flights between Paris and Moscow due to "operational reasons linked to the bypassing of Belarusian airspace requiring a new authorisation from the Russian authorities to enter their territory." Austrian Airlines also had to cancel its flight from Vienna to Moscow because the Russian authorities did not approve the change in the flight route to avoid Belarus.

The denial of entry into Russian airspace has been interpreted as a show of support by Russia for its ally, Belarus. This comes in response to the EU's call for European airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace after a Ryanair plane was forced to divert and land in Minsk, resulting in the arrest of a Belarusian dissident journalist and his girlfriend.

Russia's foreign ministry has condemned the EU's decision, claiming that it puts passenger safety at risk. However, the EU's immediate measures include a ban on Belarusian airlines over the airspace of its 27 member states, with further sanctions still being assessed.

The situation has caused tensions between Russia and the EU, with Austria's foreign ministry calling Russia's actions "absolutely incomprehensible." It remains to be seen if the conflict will escalate further or if a resolution can be reached.

The UK bans UK-registered airlines from flying over Belarus

The UK has banned UK-registered airlines from flying over Belarus, following the diversion of a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania in May 2021. The flight was forced to land in Minsk, Belarus, due to a false bomb threat, and an opposition journalist, Roman Protasevich, was arrested. This incident caused widespread outrage and was condemned by the UK government as a "shocking assault on civil aviation and an assault on international law".

In response to these events, the UK's Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, announced that the UK government was advising all UK airlines to avoid flying over Belarus to ensure the safety of passengers. The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, supported this decision, stating that it was necessary to protect passengers. This move also included suspending the operating permit of Belarus' state airline, Belavia, which effectively banned it from operating in the UK. Belavia was the only Belarusian airline with a permit to fly to the UK.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice to all UK-registered airlines, requesting that they refrain from flying over Belarus. This decision was made to protect UK citizens and airlines from potential risks associated with flying through Belarusian airspace, given the recent incident.

The UK's response to the situation was part of a broader international reaction, with the European Union also taking action. The EU banned Belarusian airlines from using its airspace and urged its airlines to avoid Belarus and its airspace. This caused further fallout, as Russia, an ally of Belarus, denied permission for some European airlines to fly to Russia if they changed their routes to avoid Belarus. This resulted in the cancellation of some flights to Moscow.

The UK's decision to ban UK-registered airlines from flying over Belarus was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its citizens and a response to the shocking incident involving the diversion of a commercial flight and the arrest of a journalist. These actions by the UK and other countries were intended to send a clear message to Belarus and deter similar incidents in the future.

The EU imposes sanctions on Belarus

The EU has imposed sanctions on Belarus following the forced landing of a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania in Minsk on 23 May 2021. The plane, carrying opposition journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, was diverted under the pretext of a bomb threat. Protasevich, who used a messaging app to organise demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, was arrested after the plane landed.

In response to the incident, the EU introduced new restrictive measures against the Belarusian regime, citing the escalation of serious human rights violations and the violent repression of civil society, democratic opposition, and journalists. The sanctions include:

• A ban on the sale, supply, transfer, or export to Belarus of equipment, technology, or software intended for monitoring or intercepting internet and telephone communications, as well as dual-use goods and technologies for military use.
• Restrictions on trade in petroleum products, potassium chloride ('potash'), and goods used for tobacco product manufacturing.
• Limited access to EU capital markets, and a prohibition on providing insurance and re-insurance to the Belarusian government and public bodies.
• A halt on disbursements or payments by the European Investment Bank under existing agreements related to public sector projects and Technical Assistance Service Contracts.
• A ban on overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines and access to EU airports for such airlines.

The EU's decision also implemented the European Council conclusions of 24 and 25 May 2021, which called for additional listings of persons and entities under the relevant sanctions framework. As of June 2021, a total of 166 individuals and 15 entities are subject to restrictive measures, including an asset freeze and a travel ban.

In addition to the EU, other countries and organisations have also taken action against Belarus. The US State Department blamed Belarus for poor relations due to the "relentless and intensifying repression" against its citizens, and the Biden administration re-implemented full sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises. The UK expanded its sanctions on 21 June, adding 11 individuals and two entities to its list, and Canada coordinated with the EU, UK, and US to impose additional sanctions in December 2021.

The US expands sanctions on Belarus

On 9 August 2024, the United States expanded its sanctions on Belarus, marking the four-year anniversary of the fraudulent August 2020 presidential election. This follows the US's reimplementation of full sanctions against nine state-owned enterprises in Belarus in June 2021.

The US expanded sanctions target Belarus' central election commission, which the US Treasury said managed a vote that "included a myriad of irregularities that made it neither free nor fair, including barring opposition candidates, denying access to poll observers, and certifying inaccurate vote tallies".

Also included in the sanctions are the Minsk Special Purpose Police Unit, the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of the Minsk City Executive Committee, and KGB Alpha, which the Treasury stated was involved in attacking protesters. The deputy interior minister and national police chief, Henadz Arkadzievich Kazakevich, have also been sanctioned.

The sanctions freeze any US assets of those blacklisted and bar Americans from dealing with them. The US State Department has also imposed visa restrictions on 39 people it says are responsible for undermining democracy in Belarus.

The US is not alone in its sanctions on Belarus. The European Union has banned Belarus Airlines from flying over EU territory or landing in EU airports, and European Union airlines are prohibited from flying over Belarus. This decision affects around 400 civilian flights per day.

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