British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Parliament on Thursday afternoon that Russian flag carrier Aeroflot would be banned from Britain’s skies as part of a new tranche of sanctions designed to put pressure on President Putin’s regime and his decision to invade Ukraine.
In a ‘Notice to Air Mission’ (NOTAM) the Department for Transport said it was banning all Russian jets all flying through its airspace.
The NOTAM read: “No aircraft on a scheduled service which is owned, chartered or operated by a person connected with Russia, or which is registered in Russia, shall fly in United Kingdom airspace, including in the airspace above the United Kingdom’s territorial sea”.
Aeroflot could also be banned from doing any business in Britain with assets owned by the airline frozen and access to banking services severed. The airline currently services the UK will a daily flight from Moscow to London Heathrow Airport.
Aeroflot is also a major sponsor of Manchester United football club. The carrier has sponsored the club since 2013.
Johnson told members of parliament that many of the latest sanctions against Russia and its interests had been coordinated in concert with the United States. Although nothing is yet confirmed, the Biden administration is also likely to ban Aeroflot from the U.S.
If confirmed, Aeroflot would be banned from flying its existing routes to New York JFK, Washington DC and Los Angeles.
