Because of the ongoing conflict with Russia, the Ukrainian government has decided to close airports in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian aviation officials have also classified certain airspace in the country’s eastern regions to be “risk zones” due to Russian aviation authorities’ efforts to take control of the country’s airspace.
Ukrainian authorities intervened after Russian authorities placed a restriction on civilian jet travel in the airspace above the eastern Ukrainian region.
During a statement made on Wednesday night (local time), Ukraine’s authorities established buffer zones to prevent air traffic controlled by Ukrainian authorities from coming into potentially dangerous confrontation with air traffic controlled by Russian authorities.
Ukrainian aviation officials issued a warning to pilots in the area last week, telling them to be on the watch for Russian authorities attempting to seize control of the airspace and to only recognize Ukraine’s air traffic controllers.
Russia had already issued a notice prohibiting civil planes from flying along flight paths that bordered northern and eastern Ukraine.
In response, Russia issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen or notice to air operations) that encompasses a corridor of land where Russian soldiers have been assembling over the previous several weeks.
The NOTAM is in effect until May 18th at the latest.
According to travel expert Quentin Long of Australian Traveller Magazine, the increasing Ukraine conflict may compel airlines to reroute passengers, and airlines will be closely watching the situation, according to Today.
He said that a key flight corridor runs through Ukraine, which is used by commercial planes flying from Europe to South-East Asian countries.
“As long as things don’t become worse, we’ll simply fly around them and everything will be OK. After that, we’ll just sit back and wait to see what occurs “Mr. Long expressed himself.