EU’s Top Air Safety Regulator Warns Airlines to Steer Clear of Five Key Russian Flight Routes

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued stricter recommendations regarding the use of Russian airspace, advising airlines operating flights to the EU to avoid five specific regions in Russia on January 10.

EASA urged carriers to refrain from flying “at all levels” in Russian airspace west of the 60th meridian east longitude. This advisory covers routes to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, and Samara and will remain in effect until the end of July 2025.

The regulator cited risks stemming from the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, including the possibility of unintentional attacks on civilian aircraft. These risks arise from potential coordination failures between civilian and military aviation as well as misidentification of aircraft.

The advisory also highlighted the heightened activity of Russian air defenses responding to Ukrainian missile and drone attacks on Russian territory.

EASA referenced the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau on December 25, 2024, as an example of such risks.

Earlier, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev stated that Russian officials are responsible for the crash of the Embraer 190 passenger plane. He emphasized that Baku is seeking justice and accountability for those involved in the incident.

In addition, Russia continues to operate passenger planes without proper maintenance or access to necessary electronics, which remain unavailable due to sanctions. This ongoing negligence has resulted in three mid-air failures of Russian aircraft within the past week.