Ukraine’s International Airlines passenger aircraft is considered to be the first official observation area in Turkey to be commissioned for aviation enthusiasts and photographers at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkey on June 25, 2021.
Mehmet Eser Anatolian Agency Getty Images
Civilian flights in Ukraine were restricted until the end of Thursday, according to a statement to the pilots.
Airlines, including Qatar Airways, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines and others, have canceled flights to Kiev scheduled for Thursday.
Flights are restricted “due to a potential danger to civil aviation,” according to a statement posted on the Federal Aviation Administration’s website. Russia launched an attack on its neighbor early Thursday morning local time.
The announcement of the flight restriction came just before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his forces would launch a military operation in Ukraine. Shortly after Putin’s statement, explosions were reported in Ukrainian cities such as Kiev, the capital.
The European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency avoided Ukrainian airspace early Thursday, local time, including 100 nautical miles from the borders with Belarus and Russia.
Several foreign airlines, including Lufthansa and KLM, have previously suspended flights to Ukraine over fears of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Flight 755 of the Polish airline LOT, directed to Kiev, returned to Warsaw at the time the order was issued.
Earlier, Russia restricted flights along the country’s eastern border with Ukraine. US aviation authorities have banned US aircraft from flying over eastern Ukraine for the first time after Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down in the region.
Last week, some Ukrainian airlines were forced to cancel flights or relocate aircraft at the behest of aircraft lessors because insurance companies did not cover the flights.
Some carriers have changed their routes.
“Based on our collective assessment of the situation, we have decided to actively move to our alternative flight route,” United Parcel Service said in a statement to its pilots on Monday. “While this alternative route adds extra time to the flight, we believe it is a viable alternative to continue to ensure safe and efficient operations. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with additional updates when we receive them. “
Follow live updates on the Russian attack here.