The EU's aviation safety watchdog on Jan. 9 issued a new alert advising non-European airlines to avoid flying over western Russia following the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane last month.
The crash, which killed 38 people, is believed to have been caused by Russian air defenses firing at Ukrainian drones.
"The ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses the risk of civil aircraft being unintentionally targeted in the airspace of the Russian Federation due to possible civil-military coordination deficiencies, and the potential for misidentification," the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said.
"EASA recommends not to operate within the affected airspace of the Russian Federation located west of longitude 60° East at all altitudes and flight levels."
Russian airspace is already closed to EU airlines. The alert applies to third-country operators authorised by EASA.
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, changed course and crashed in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25.
Multiple reports and official Azerbaijani statements attributed the disaster to a missile launched by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has maintained close ties with Azerbaijan, offered condolences during a Dec. 28 phone call but stopped short of admitting Russian responsibility.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized Russia’s handling of the incident, accusing its agencies of suppressing evidence and promoting "absurd versions" of events.
Aliyev also blamed Russia for failing to close its airspace near Grozny and highlighted poor coordination between its military and civil aviation services as factors contributing to the tragedy.
Francis Farrell
(Updated: )
