Ukraine sees no point closing airspace amid tensions with Russia
Several airlines have canceled or diverted flights to Ukraine amid heightened fears of Russian invasion despite diplomatic efforts for dialogue.
This comes after more than a dozen countries, including the U.S. and European countries, have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine. White House earlier asked Americans to leave the country within 48 hours.
Dutch airline KLM has canceled flights to Ukraine until further notice. “This decision follows the adjusted travel advice to code red and an extensive safety analysis. It is not yet clear when KLM will fly to Kiev again,” the company said Saturday. Germany’s Lufthansa also said it was considering suspending flights.
Airlines that have announced to cancel or change flight schedule include KLM, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways and Air Astana. Flights that continue to fly to Kyiv airport on February 13 and 14 include Uzbekistan Airways, Air France, Sky Up Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Lufthansa among others.
In a Facebook post, Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport informed the travelers that “The airport continues to operate as usual, ensuring full security and high level of air security.” The management asked the travelers to follow the information about the flight schedule of airlines on its website and to contact airline services for details on flight cancellations and delays.
As some carriers reviewed their services to the country, Ukrainian officials said they see no point closing its airspace in response to Moscow’s troop build-up.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said that “Ukraine itself sees no point in closing the sky. This is nonsense” and described the flight restrictions as “a kind of partial blockade”.
Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said airlines were continuing to operate “without any restrictions” and said the ministry was ready to provide additional financial guarantees to support local airlines.
