Ukraine invasion: Russian planes face near-total airspace ban to west

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Russian airlines face a near-total blockade of airspace to the country's west after an EU official said most European countries are set to impose flight bans.

The measure is expected to be decided later on Sunday.

Several countries have already acted, followed by Germany and Belgium.

Russian flights now have few options for their journeys.

Dozens of flights to Paris, Vienna and Kaliningrad were canceled on Sunday at Moscow's Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports.

Russia's S7 Airlines said on its Facebook page that it would be canceling flights to many of its European destinations.

Aeroflot, Russia's biggest airline, said it would be suspending its services to Latvia and Romania until at least 26 March.

Russia retaliated with restrictions on countries banning its flights.

Private jets and Russian-owned planes can't enter the skies above the Baltic states, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Romania. Russian planes have been banned from the UK.

Several more EU countries have joined the action to close airspace to Russian flights.

• Germany is imposing a three-month ban from 15:00 (14:00 GMT) on Sunday
• Finland, which shares an 800 mile (1,300km) border with Russia, "is preparing to close its airspace to Russian air traffic," Transport Minister Timo Harakka wrote on Twitter
• Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said European skies were "open for those who connect people, not for those who seek to brutally aggress".
• Denmark's foreign minister Jeppe Kofod said on Twitter that his country would close its airspace and push for an EU-wide ban
• Austrian minister Leonore Gewessler said it was also backing an EU-wide ban.

Longer flight times will be required because of the restriction on flights over many countries to Russia's west.

The only viable route for Russian planes to travel to European countries that have yet to ban flights is the Gulf of Finland, which is around 120 km wide.

Commercial airlines are avoiding airspace around Russia.

In the United States, Delta Air Lines said it would stop booking flights with Aeroflot.

Moscow retaliated with a curb on British planes after the UK banned Russian flights.

Between 15 minutes and an hour was added to its flights between the UK and India and Pakistan.

Qantas will use a longer route between Darwin and London that does not fly over Russia.