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EU civil aviation watchdog toughens safety guidance for flights in Russian airspace

10 January 2025 04:18 (UTC +04:00)

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has toughened its safety recommendations regarding the use of Russia’s airspace, APA reports.

In a statement, published by EASA on its website, the authority advises against operating within the Russian airspace "west of longitude 60° East, at all flight levels."

No EU airlines currently fly to, from or over the airspace of the Russian Federation, the watchdog informed, adding that a number of third-country carriers continue to do so.

The recommendation is valid until July 31, 2025, with the possibility of being adapted or withdrawn as a result of revised security and safety assessment.

It should be noted that the updated recommendations were issued after the crash of an Embraer E190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines flying on the Baku-Grozny route in Aktau on the morning of December 25, 2024.

There were 67 people on board - citizens of Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, 38 of whom died and 29 survived the crash.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the incident.

After the crash, AZAL suspended flights to the Russian cities of Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladikavkaz and Kazan due to the danger.