Russia refuses Austrian Airlines the permit to fly
Austrian Airlines had to cancel flight OS601 from Vienna to Moscow due to a lack of permits. The carrier followed the EASA's recommendation and wanted to fly around Belarusian airspace. Russia did not agree with this and did not grant the AUA flight permission. The Austrian carrier is not an isolated case, as Moscow also refused Air France permission yesterday and today. According to Austrian Airlines, any change to flight routes must be officially approved. But this is precisely what the Russian Federation is refusing. It is still unclear to what extent long-distance AUA flights could be affected. Some EU countries are refusing to allow the Belarusian airline Belavia to use their airspace. This is a national unilateral move, as the ban has not yet been announced at Union level. According to the Commission, the legal basis must first be created. This is to prevent Belavia from being unable to assert claims for damages. Irrespective of this, nation states can already impose flight bans at their own risk.