How Skies Shrunk For Russian Flights After Ukraine Invasion: See Map

Several countries in Europe and North America have shut their airspace to Russian flights as part of steps against Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine. 

Now, an image, shared on Twitter, shows what the airspace ban looks like for Russian flights. The parts in red denote the regions where Russian flights are not allowed. The creative was prepared “based on published NOTAMs [Notice to Air Missions]”.

Based on published NOTAMs this is now the airspace unavailable—or will soon be unavailable—to Russian flights. NOTAMs available at https://t.co/3GtCYRmZUQ pic.twitter.com/Bp9pg276yq

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 27, 2022

The countries that have discontinued allowing airspace to Russia include Ukraine's neighbours such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. Only Belarus, a landlocked Russian ally that has been providing support for Vladimir Putin's war effort, has allowed its airspace to be used by Russian planes, according to Flightradar24.

Germany and the UK have also issued NOTAMs barring Russian flights from using their airspaces.

Across the Atlantic, Greenland and Canada too have refused permission to Russian flights. What this effectively means is a Russian flight cannot enter Ukraine from the country's northwest without violating the NOTAMs.

Russia has also barred some countries from using its air space as a reactionary measure. For instance, Moscow banned UK flights from the country's airspace, affecting service to Russian destinations as well as overflights, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic service to India. 

Flightradar24, a Sweden-based service that tracks air traffic around the world, said the re-routing for a British Airways flight from Delhi to London has added 896 km and 1 hour to flying time between the destinations.

These bans have mostly hit business jet traffic. And a substantial impact is likely to be on Russia's biggest airline, Aeroflot. The restrictions will force airlines from Russia to take longer routes.

Meanwhile, the war entered its fifth day on Monday as Russia put its nuclear forces on high alert and claimed air superiority in Ukraine. Representatives from Ukraine and Russia are to meet later today for talks near the border with Belarus.