Lufthansa extends Russian flight ban

German airline Lufthansa will extend its one-week flight suspension to Russia today.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many airlines have banned flights to and from Russia. In addition to Lufthansa, American Airlines and Finnair both announced that they would not use Russian airspace and instead reroute Asia-bound flights. The number of flights using Kazakhstan’s airspace has tripled since the ban.

Additionally, all twenty-seven EU Member States and the US have banned Russian aircraft from flying in their airspace, including commercial planes and private jets. The only exceptions have been flights involving humanitarian aid or diplomatic missions. The EU has also banned Russian state-owned media, ended transactions with Russian banks, and frozen assets of high-level Russian officials.

In response to the bans, Russia closed its airspace to thirty-six countries indefinitely. The bans will exacerbate global supply chain problems that began during the pandemic. 20% of global air cargo is likely to be disrupted by the bans, with Lufthansa and other airlines canceling Asia-bound flights. Going forward, airlines will experience losses due to higher oil costs, longer flight routes, and temporary layoffs from reduced flight activity. On commercial flights, airlines will likely increase ticket prices and make refueling stops until airspace reopens.