Rosaviatsia recommends Russian airlines suspend all flights abroad as of March 6

MOSCOW. March 5 (Interfax) - Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) recommends that Russian airlines suspend all international flights as of March 6 amid mass seizures of aircraft abroad.

"Rosaviatsia recommends that Russian airlines that have aircraft registered in the registers of foreign states under a leasing agreement with a foreign organization, the following: From midnight Moscow time on March 6, suspend the transportation of passengers and cargo from points within Russia to points of foreign states; and from midnight Moscow time on March 8, 2022, the transportation of passengers and cargo from points within foreign states to points in Russia will be suspended," Rosaviatsia said in a statement.

This recommendation is "prompted by a high degree of risk that aircraft of Russian airlines could be impounded or seized abroad," the statement said.

"Foreign governments participating in sanctions measures outside of restrictions on the use of airspace are introducing additional restrictions in the form of seizure or impoundment of aircraft of Russian airlines registered in foreign states that belong to foreign lessors," it said.

These restrictions do not affect airlines that operate aircraft with foreign or Russian registration, "and there is no risk of seizure or impoundment." They also do not affect foreign airlines of countries that have not joined sanctions and have not restricted air traffic with Russia.

Almost all civil aircraft in the fleets of Russian airlines are registered abroad, mainly in Bermuda. More than half of planes are leased by foreign owners, according to the Cirium consulting company. Superjet 100 planes produced and registered in Russia are capable of flying up to 3,000 kilometers and can hold up to 108 passengers and therefore flew mainly within Russia even before sanctions. Special models of the Superjet 100 can fly up to 4,600 kilometers.

Russian airlines began canceling international flights even to countries open to flights even before Rosaviatsia's recommendations. For example, S7 has announced a suspension of all international flights. Flights to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Israel, and Azerbaijan have been canceled by Ural Airlines . Aeroflot announced shutting down all international flights except to Minsk after the recommendations came out. This was preceded by news of planes being seized in Istanbul, Mexico City, Yerevan, and others.

Azur Air said on Friday that it was continuing flights to Vietnam, Maldives, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Azur Air is one of very few airlines in Russia that has several longer-range aircraft with Russian registration, all of which belong to the carrier.

Utair said at the end of last year that it was starting to change over the registration of its aircraft from Bermuda to Russia.

The European Union introduced sanctions banning supplies, sales, leasing, maintenance, and insurance of planes in Russia on February 26.