Airspace closings over Russia and the European Union have forced airlines to come up with alternate routes to avoid restrictions, and it adds hours of flight time and thousands of dollars in extra operating costs.
On Sunday, the EU closed its airspace to any plane owned, chartered or otherwise controlled by a Russian legal or natural person as part of sweeping sanctions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Aeroflot was one of the first airlines to feel the impact of airspace closings. On Sunday, the airline took off from Belgrade, Serbia, on a flight to Moscow that typically flies north across Eastern Europe to its destination in Russia.
The plane had to fly around Bulgaria and across Turkey to get to Russian airspace because of the EU's airspace restrictions. The flight time was increased by three hours because of the detour.
—Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 27, 2022
Qantas has changed its flight path from Australia to London by flying over the Middle East and Southern Europe. British Airways has changed its route from New Delhi to London.
US carriers do not fly to airports in Russia or Ukraine, so they have had to change their routes in the region. According to The Points Guy, United Airlines told employees on Tuesday that it will stop using Russian airspace on flights to and from India.
According to analysts, the detours are increasing the cost of fuel, labor, and maintenance, which could lead to an increase in passenger fares and cargo rates. Robert Mann, an aviation consultant from New York, told ABC News that it could cost airlines thousands of dollars to change passenger planes.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the cargo division of German carrier Lufthansa said it has to carry up to 20% less freight due to the longer flight time. The carrier is avoiding Russian airspace by flying south.
Mann explained that some routes will become uneconomic or impractical.
Some carriers have decided to suspend flights instead of rerouting. Finnair stopped flights to airports in Japan, China, and South Korea, and Singapore Airlines stopped service to Moscow.
aircraft lessors that need to repossess aircraft stranded in Russia could be impacted by airspace closings. On Sunday, the EU required aircraft leasing companies to cancel their contracts with Russian airlines by March 28, meaning those planes will need to be returned to their foreign owners.
Russian carriers and the nation's government could make the task a logistical nightmare.
Henry Harteveldt, analyst and president of Atmosphere Research, said that the government could challenge the lessors ability to repossess the planes.
Who will fly these airplanes from Russia? How do the airlines get their Russian pilots back?
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