Do commercial jets fly over Ukraine?

All the major countries who regularly issue airspace warnings (the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany) have since issued total flight bans for Ukraine due to risk from military activity at all levels.



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This suspension was extended until further notice on 24 February 2022, following the closure of Ukrainian airspace. In light of the current situation in the region, we've decided to suspend our flights to and from Russia and our flights through Russian airspace until further notice as of 26 February 2022.

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June 1, 2023, at 2:52 p.m. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chinese airlines are avoiding flying over Russian airspace in newly approved flights to and from the United States, according to flight tracking website FlightAware and industry officials.

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Emirates, Dubai to Stockholm
What had been taking the airline 6-6.5 hours over Russia now takes 6.5-7 hours to avoid it. Given the need to avoid Ukraine too, Emirates' flights make a curve above Turkey, then loop through Romania and Poland en route to Stockholm.

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British Airways, the only UK airline flying to Moscow prior to the ban, said it was warning customers that some flights to destinations east of Russia would now take longer due to rerouting. BA usually operates three flights a week to the Russian capital but does not fly to any other destinations in Russia or Ukraine.

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The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand [CAAT] has also confirmed that no Thai carriers are using Ukrainian airspace, he added. Currently, only Thai Airways (THAI) is operating flights from Thailand to Europe and none of its seven routes passes over Ukraine.

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“Lufthansa will not use Russian airspace until 25 March 2023 for the time being due to the current regulatory situation. For this reason, all Lufthansa flights to and from Russia must be cancelled during this period.”

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Most airlines operating between Europe and Asia have changed their routes to fly further south to avoid Russian airspace.

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Currently, the U.S. bans its own airlines from flying over Russian airspace, but the ban doesn't generally apply to foreign airlines that serve the U.S.

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Meanwhile, the boss of Air India earlier this year defended flying over Russia by comparing the move to the UK allowing Russian oligarchs to buy up vast tracts of property in London. Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways also make use of Russian airspace.

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United, British Airways, and Finnair are all avoiding the area. Russia's airspace is closed to many global airlines, forcing carriers to detour around the nation. Routes to and from Asia are up to four hours longer.

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The polar route
Chinese airlines aren't the only ones still using Russian airspace. Air India, for example, flies over Russia for its direct flights from India to the United States. Middle Eastern airlines, like Emirates, also continue to fly over Russia on their North American routes.

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