Ban on flights in Belarus airspace affect operations of other countries’ airlines – MOT
<p> MINSK, Oct 18 - PrimePress. Aviation restrictions imposed on Belarus following the Ryanair incident are affecting airlines and passengers in other countries. Belarus’ Transport and Communications Minister Alexey Avramenko made a statement to this effect at the Ministers’ Forum on the sidelines of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference on 15 October. </p> <p> </p> <p> On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair flight that took off from Athens was forced to make an emergency landing in the Belarusian capital of Minsk after a reported bomb threat. A Mikoyan MiG-29 jet was scrambled to escort the plane into Minsk. The bomb threat came up empty after the aircraft had landed. The Belarusian authorities specified later that Roman Protasevich, wanted in Belarus as a co-founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, which the Belarusian authorities recognized as extremist, had been among the flight’s passengers. He was detained by Belarusian law enforcement agents. Following the incident, the European Union barred Belarusian air companies from operating flights to EU airports and using the European Union’s airspace, and recommended that European air carriers should avoid Belarusian airspace. In May, Ukraine also suspended air links with Belarus and closed the airspace to Belarusian aircraft. The ICAO launched an investigation into the incident, with a preliminary report due on 25 October 2021 (final report – Nov 2021). </p> <p> </p> <p> “The air ban imposed on Belarus has affected not only our country. By flying around the country, air companies have increased the length of routes, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and the cost of transportation, which directly affects passengers," the minister said. </p> <p> </p> <p> The minister reminded that during the lockdown of 2020, Belarus did not shut down its airports, including for transit aircraft, and continued operating flights to available destinations, becoming a humanitarian corridor for tens of thousands of passengers from all over the world. </p> <p> </p> <p> Belavia currently operates flights to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia (except for Kaliningrad Region), Israel, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, UAE and charter flights to Turkey, Egypt and Jordan. </p> <p> </p> On 8 October, Belavia extended the suspension of flights to 28 cities until 14 December 2021. End
2021-10-19
Primepress
Ban on flights in Belarus airspace affect operations of other countries’ airlines – MOT
MINSK, Oct 18 - PrimePress. Aviation restrictions imposed on Belarus following the Ryanair incident are affecting airlines and passengers in other countries. Belarus’ Transport and Communications Minister Alexey Avramenko made a statement to this effect at the Ministers’ Forum on the sidelines of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference on 15 October.
On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair flight that took off from Athens was forced to make an emergency landing in the Belarusian capital of Minsk after a reported bomb threat. A Mikoyan MiG-29 jet was scrambled to escort the plane into Minsk. The bomb threat came up empty after the aircraft had landed. The Belarusian authorities specified later that Roman Protasevich, wanted in Belarus as a co-founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, which the Belarusian authorities recognized as extremist, had been among the flight’s passengers. He was detained by Belarusian law enforcement agents. Following the incident, the European Union barred Belarusian air companies from operating flights to EU airports and using the European Union’s airspace, and recommended that European air carriers should avoid Belarusian airspace. In May, Ukraine also suspended air links with Belarus and closed the airspace to Belarusian aircraft. The ICAO launched an investigation into the incident, with a preliminary report due on 25 October 2021 (final report – Nov 2021).
“The air ban imposed on Belarus has affected not only our country. By flying around the country, air companies have increased the length of routes, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and the cost of transportation, which directly affects passengers," the minister said.
The minister reminded that during the lockdown of 2020, Belarus did not shut down its airports, including for transit aircraft, and continued operating flights to available destinations, becoming a humanitarian corridor for tens of thousands of passengers from all over the world.
Belavia currently operates flights to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia (except for Kaliningrad Region), Israel, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, UAE and charter flights to Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.
On 8 October, Belavia extended the suspension of flights to 28 cities until 14 December 2021. End