The Belarusian airline Belavia has been banned from EU airspace for some time. The carrier is now taking the matter to the European Court of Justice. The first hearing will take place in Luxembourg on October 25, 2023.

Following the forced stopover of a Ryanair flight operated by Buzz at Minsk Airport in 2021, Belavia, along with ten other air carriers based in Belarus, was banned from EU airspace. Since then, they have not been allowed to fly to destinations in the European Union or use the airspace.

Belavia is now trying to get the sanctions ended in court. A lawsuit has been brought before the European Court of Justice. In terms of content, the accusation is that incorrect data led to the decision that is being contested. The appeal was filed at the beginning of March 2022, i.e. much later, but shortly after the Russian army invaded Ukraine, which also crossed Belarusian territory.

The European Court of Justice will hold a first hearing on October 25, 2023. It is not expected that a verdict will be announced yet. In any case, Belavia wants to get the ban lifted. If the ECJ actually overturns this, it is to be expected that the EU Commission will impose it again with different reasons.