European Airlines, Air France and Austrian Airlines They had to cancel two direct flights to Moscow After the Russian air authorities did not approve the flight paths that were modified to prevent them from flying in the airspace of Belarus. This was explained by the same companies that respectively canceled the flight departing from Paris on Wednesday and the scheduled flight on Thursday from Vienna, both of which are bound for Moscow; Another Air France flight expected to depart from France to reach Russia is still awaiting permission today.

The decision of airlines to divert flights was based on a call by European authorities not to fly over Belarusian airspace, after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered Sunday. Diversion of Ryanair flight Athens-Vilnius Forcing him to land in the capital, Minsk, in order to arrest the opposition journalist Roman Protasevic. By Monday already, several airlines are starting to do so To divert their travels In order not to fly over Belarus.

The gesture of the Belarusian regime was widely condemned by many leaders of the European Union member states, who decided Monday evening during an extraordinary meeting to impose New economic sanctions To Belarus. On Thursday, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, announced the launch of an investigation into the hijacking. At the same time, the foreign ministers of European Union member states began to debate the upcoming economic sanctions, which will add to those already imposed last year. October Then it spread to February.

Also read: The amazing story of Ryanair’s flight changed course from Belarus