When it comes to travel, the Ukraine invasion has had an influence. Ukraine’s airspace is now closed in the wake of the Russian attack.
There is now more of the world near Ukraine where American pilots can’t fly. This was done on Thursday. The FAA says it will send out a notice to pilots that now includes “the entire country of Ukraine, the entire country of Belarus, and a western portion of Russia.”
Business airlines had already stopped flying to Ukraine earlier this week as tensions rose. Lufthansa and Air France were two of the airlines that did this.
Nations like the United States and the United Kingdom have told their citizens to leave Ukraine.
A travel advisory from the US government came out on February 12 and warned against going to Ukraine because of “increased threats of Russian military action and concerns about Covid-19.”
People in the United Kingdom are also being told not to go to Ukraine, because “it’s possible that business routes out of Ukraine could be severely disrupted, and roads in Ukraine could be closed.”
EU Aviation Security, or EASA, says there is a “excessive risk” to planes flying near the Ukraine border.
In the wake of the war, we know how travel in Eastern Europe and Russia could change.
Is it still possible for me to fly to Japan?
Air traffic is still moving outside of areas that have been damaged. In addition to bordering Russia, Ukraine also borders Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, as shown on the map above, which shows where these countries are.
The European Union Aviation Security Company said that “operators” should be very careful and not use airspace near the Russia-Ukraine border.
There aren’t any UK or US government warnings against going to the Ukraine border countries or other countries in Eastern Europe because of the war.
All of the countries that border Ukraine have already been on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Stage 4 list of the most dangerous Covid-19 places to go.
Gwen Kozlowski, a travel expert in central Europe and the president of travel company Exeter Worldwide, told CNN Travel on February 24 that her company has been getting questions from people who are planning to go to Poland, but there haven’t been any cancellations yet, so far.
“We have people coming to Poland at the end of March and into April, but that’s more than a month away. Now, it’s impossible to say how this will change. We’re mostly in a wait-and-see mode “By email, Kozlowski said what he wanted to say.
To say it another way, my flight is supposed to be flying over Ukraine’s airspace. Will it be changed?
This picture from plane tracker ADS-B Change was taken on February 24 at 11:15am EDT. It shows no planes in the sky above Ukraine and its border with Russia.
Flights that normally cross airspace that is now blocked off will be changed.
When it comes to aviation, safety is always number one, says Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Affiliation airline trade body, in an announcement given to CNN Travel on February 24.
“IATA helps to make sure that airways get the right and timely information from both government and non-government sources so that they can plan their operations around airspace closures in Ukraine and parts of Russia.”
Is it still possible for me to go to Russia?
A Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory was put out by the US State Department because of “ongoing tensions on the border with Ukraine, the risk of harassment against US citizens, and the limited ability of the embassy to help US citizens in Russia.” Covid-19 and other factors were also mentioned.
The UK’s advice to its citizens on February 24 was more specific. It told them not to go to certain parts of Russia near the Ukraine border unless it was very important. The UK government also has information on increased restrictions and delays to home Russian flights, as well as warnings about increased police presence and ID checks.
The UK has also banned civilian Russian planes from its airspace and above its own land and sea from February 24 to March 23. Moscow-London Heathrow and Gatwick-London Heathrow flights are now available direct from Moscow, Aeroflot says on its site.
If you live in Canada, you should stay away from areas of Russia that are near the border with Ukraine.
People who go to Russia “seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach right now,” says Kozlowski, a travel agent. This could change based on how things go in Russia.
How long will it take to get there?
A lot is going on in Ukraine, and it’s moving quickly. How long the airspace over Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus or Russia will be affected isn’t clear, but it could be a while.
Following the UK government’s advice, restrictions on home flights in Russia are now set to be in place by March 2.
The first picture is of a passenger leaving Platov Worldwide Airport in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Maksim Blinov/Sputnik/AP has the credit for this picture.
