MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s State Aviation Agency imposed transit regulations on Russia’s Aeroflot and Transaero air companies, allowing transit across the country’s airspace only after receiving a permit for each connecting flight, Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure reports.
“These measures are meant to ensure an appropriate level of security by establishing transit procedures and protocols throughout Ukraine for those airlines which disregard international flight rules over restricted airspace in the territory of Crimea and to Simferopol’s closed airport," Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure stated.
According to the ministry, Aeroflot and Transaero fly through Ukraine to Bulgaria, Israel, Turkey, Egypt and Greece. Aeforlot itself claims that the company reconsidered all routes through Ukraine back on July 17, after the Malaysia Airlines crash in the Donetsk region. The carrier has forecasted that the expenses will amount to around $20 million per year, mostly due to additional fuel costs.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on August 7 that Ukrainian air companies flying through Russian airspace are denied transit.
On Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law that allows Kiev to impose 29 different types of sanctions against Russia. Now, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine can freeze assets, restrict trading, as well as partially or fully halt flights or transit of Russian goods, block stocks and limit sales operations. It also gives the government the right to annul or freeze licenses on certain types of activity, including mining and energy extraction operations.
