London February 25 2022 (AFP) – IAG Air Group, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, announced Friday (25) the cancellation of its flights to Moscow and the diversion of its routes over Russia.
The announcement came minutes after the Russian government decided to ban the use of its airspace by all aircraft bound for the UK.
IAG CEO Luis Gallego stated during an investor conference, after the group’s results were published.
He added, “We are monitoring the impact of this crisis on IAG. But the flight capacity we have to the east is very limited” and “we are in a position to reroute all flights we currently have.”
Gallego did not give details of the trips mentioned about the various companies in the group.
The company’s decision comes on the heels of British government sanctions against Russian airline Aeroflot in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and Russia’s retaliation, which banned all UK-related aircraft from using its airspace.
Russia’s aviation organization Rosaviatsia said in a statement that Russian airspace is prohibited to all aircraft “owned, leased or operated by a person associated with the United Kingdom” and those registered in the United Kingdom.
The measure also includes flights that pass through Russian territory, a major space uniting Europe and Asia, according to the same source.
Air Group IAG announced that it halved its net loss in 2021, thanks to the gradual resumption of air traffic during the year, and expects its results to improve in 2022.
Luis Gallego emphasized that the planes that would have to change course would not prevent the group from “maintaining the flight program” it had.
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