The Austrian Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines decided on Saturday evening that it would no longer head for destinations in the Russian Federation for at least the next seven days. They also no longer want to use the airspace of this state.

It can be assumed that immediate countermeasures will be taken by the Putin government once the EU-wide ban on Russian airlines and planes is implemented. Among other things, this means that EU airlines are no longer allowed to use Russian airspace.

For Austrian Airlines flights, this means that not only the point-to-point routes from/to Russia are affected, but also those that have previously flown via the largest country in the world. These are now switching to other airspaces, so that flight times will be longer. However, the carrier is happy to accept this and justifies the decision, among other things, “with the current and emerging regulatory situation”.

AUA also emphasizes: “Austrian Airlines continues to monitor the situation closely and is in close contact with the national and international authorities. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority at all times.”