Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, Singapore Airlines, SAS and Air Baltic, one after another, decided to suspend Belarus’ overspeeding on Tuesday, May 25. Subsequent decisions The European Union approved the retaliation on Monday, May 24 Belarusian authorities hijacked a Boeing hijacking from the Irish company Ryanair at a reduced rate on Sunday, linking Athens and Vilnius to Minsk. This activity, France qualified “Act of State Piracy”, Authorities in Belarus have ordered the arrest of Roman Protassevich, an opposition journalist on board the hijacked plane, and his accomplices.

The European Union’s decision will not help the already weak airlines, which have been slowing down for more than a year due to the Covid-19 crisis. They have already begun to review the organization of their routes to Russia and Asia. “Air France has taken note of the European Council’s conclusions, so it is suspending air flow over the border until further notice. [biélorusse] With its tools. We will see the aircraft already on the route updating their flight plan. ”, Announced the company led by Benjamin Smith.

“Direct flight to Moscow will be more complicated”, Guarantees an Air France pilot. “We have to make a small detour” Through Ukraine, southern, or Baltic countries, north, “This will increase the flight by five to ten minutes.”, Air France Flight Attendant clarifies. «Cess ZigzagsIn his opinion Causing excess fuel consumption. An additional cost that Air France has not yet calculated.

Simple modification of PLC

However, do not affect the company too much. “Only ten of its routes flew over Belarus.”, She says. Before the hijacking of the Ryanair flight, an average of 2,500 commercial planes flew through Belarusian skies each week. Bypass this “A root option will be removed” In the event of a problem, a pilot reports that Minsk can play this role accordingly “Emergency Airport”.

Belarus is not the only region to be excluded from European airspace. Since the Russian Federation occupied Crimea in 2014, planes have been banned from flying over the peninsula. In the same year, companies hijacked their aircraft from Ukraine for a while after separatists fired missiles from the Donbass on July 17. Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.

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