Russia bans UK carriers from its airspace

A British Airways spokesperson confirmed the airline had suspended its three-times-weekly service to Moscow, the only Russian route it is currently operating, and would also stop operating in Russian airspace.

"We apologise for the inconvenience but this is clearly a matter beyond our control," they said. "We are notifying customers on cancelled services and are offering a full refund. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Some BA flight times may now be extended owing to necessary re-routing to avoid Russian airspace. The carrier added it does not currently operate to Ukraine, nor use its airspace, and hasn’t operated there for "a number of years".

The Foreign Office, meanwhile, has updated its travel advise to reflect the developments.

"On 24 February, the prime minister announced that, as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, all scheduled services operated by Russian airlines would be banned from operating to or from entering the United Kingdom’s airspace. This ban came into effect at midnight the same day.

"In response, on 25 February, the Russian authorities introduced restrictions on all UK operated flights using Russian airspace. Due to the continuing risk the conflict poses to civil air travel, British Airways has decided to immediately cease flights to Russia.

"If you are in Russia, you should be aware that it may not be possible to fly directly to the UK, and should amend any travel plans accordingly.