Russia Ban on U.K. Flights Sends British Airways Off Course
- Services to Moscow halted; New Delhi trip takes an hour longer
- Virgin Atlantic scraps Shanghai route, while Poland plans ban
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Russia banned U.K. airlines from its territory, a move meant to punish London for imposing sanctions on Aeroflot over the attack on Ukraine.
The decree issued by Russia’s aviation authority on Friday includes overflights, meaning British Airways jets will have to avoid the country’s airspace on their way to Asia, adding time and fuel expense. BA canceled its sole service between London and Moscow, while Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. suspended a cargo-only route from London Heathrow to Shanghai.