US airlines end codeshare as Russia's Aeroflot airline banned from EU, Canada airspace

The Russian national air carrier Aeroflot has been shut out of international airspace over the war in Ukraine. Photo / Robert Aardenburg, Unsplash

Travel restrictions from Canada, the EU and Balkan countries have seen flights from the Russian national carrier all but shut out of Canada and Europe.

Over the weekend Canada announced a security-related NOTAM aviation notice banning Russian owned carriers from their airspace.

"ALL AIRCRAFT OWNED, CHARTERED OR OPERATED OR OTHERWISE CONTROLED BY A PERSON CONNECTED WITH RUSSIA, OR WHICH IS REGISTERED IN RUSSIA, AND ALL OPERATORS HOLDING AN AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE (AOC) ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUTHORITIES ARE PROHIBITED TO ENTER, EXIT OR OVERFLY CANADA'S AIRSPACE," read the notice, effective from 8pm Sunday, New Zealand time.

In the US, while there is a formal NOTAM advising planes to avoid West Russian and Ukrainian airspace, some carriers have made the move to end long-held partnerships with Russian airlines.

Delta Air Lines has suspended its codesharing partnership with Russian national airline Aeroflot following Russia's invasion of Ukraine — and some Baltic and European nations announced the closure of their airspace to Russian carriers.

Atlanta-based Delta on Friday said its decision put a hold on the codesharing system allowing Delta and Aeroflot customers to book flights on both airlines.

"We have removed our code from Aeroflot-operated services beyond Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport and removed Aeroflot's code from Delta-operated services from Los Angeles and New York-JFK. Accommodations will be made for customers affected by these changes," Delta said in a statement, adding that it does not operate flights to Ukraine or Russia.

Based on published NOTAMs this is now the airspace unavailable—or will soon be unavailable—to Russian flights. NOTAMs available at https://t.co/3GtCYRmZUQ pic.twitter.com/Bp9pg276yq

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 27, 2022

The codesharing suspension came after Britain on Thursday banned Aeroflot from flying into the country.

Aeroflot didn't immediately respond Saturday to AP's request for comment that was sent to its communications department.

Currently the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, between Poland and Lithuania, is all but cut off from Russian territory. Flight tracking shows planes in and out of the Russian City on the Baltic have to skirt the maritime borders of Sweden and the Baltic States to avoid being accused of entering banned airspace.

Aeroflot flights from Kaliningrad exploit a loophole flying along the borders of national airspace. Photo / Flight Radar 24

On Saturday, the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced that they will close their airspace to Russian airlines. Slovenia and the Czech Republic also did so because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted that Western nations should isolate Russia economically and politically, saying "there is no place for planes of the aggressor state in democratic skies."

Slovenia's government said its ban applies to all aircraft registered in Russia and operators based in Russia and licensed by a competent Russian authority.

The Czech Republic's decision means that the country is "stepping up our measures against the Russian aggression in Ukraine," said Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka.

- Associated Press with additional reporting