Published: February 27, 2022 9:53 PM IST 
New Delhi: Russian flights face a near-total blockade of airspace on the western side of the country, with Canada, on Sunday, joining the long list of European countries closing their airspace to ramp up pressure on President Vladimir Putin by seeking to isolate Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. “Canada has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft operators effective immediately due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” reported news agency Reuters quoting Canada’s minister of transportation Omar Alghabra.
Prior to that, European Union members including, Austria, Estonia, Bulgaria, France, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Finland, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Sweden have closed their airspace for Russian airlines or have announced to do so.
The United Kingdom, which is not longer part of European Union, along with Iceland have also announced a ban on Russian flights to support of Ukraine and severely limiting Russia’s options for routes taken by its west-bound flights.
North Macedonia’s government also banned all Russian aircraft from its skies, but said humanitarian flights will be exempted, reported Times of Isreal.
So far Spain, Greece, Serbia and Turkey are among the few European nations left that haven’t joined in the move against Russia, reported Associated Press
Meanwhile, In retaliation to sanction on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has closed its airspace to companies linked or registered in several EU countries. Commercial and transit flights from airlines in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Slovenia are now banned from entering Russian airspace.
On Saturday Russia closed its airspace for planes linked to Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic – again after a similar decision taken by these countries against Russian companies. Earlier this week Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
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