Birmingham Airport: which flight routes could be affected by Russia-Ukraine conflict?

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which was launched on 24 February has shocked the world.

The military action is already causing disruption to the stock market, energy prices, and travel.

On 24 February, Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian flights as the invasion began, and Moldova followed suit. Belarus has also closed parts of its airspace to commercial flights.

On 25 February Russia announced it was banning UK flights from its airspace. This was In response to the UK’s sanctions on Russian airline company Aeroflot.

On 27 February, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that European Union airspace is closed to Russian planes.

So how will airspace closures and a ban on UK flights entering Russia impact Birmingham flights and routes - and will it lead to diversions and cancellations? This is what you need to know.

Will flights from Birmingham Airport be affected by Russia-Ukraine conflict?

Although there are no flights to Ukraine or Russia from Birmingham Airport, it is possible to get direct flights to destinations in nearby countries.

Direct flights operate from Birmingham to the Polish cities of Krakow, Poznan and Warsaw as well Bucharest in Romania.

Poland has a border with Ukraine and Warsaw, the Polish capital, is roughly 485 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Romania borders Ukraine to the south, and it’s capital Bucharest is 570 miles away from Kiev.

According to the Birmingham Airport website , flights to Krakow, Poznan and Warsaw are running as scheduled today and tomorrow.

Yesterday, the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office issued advice to British nationals in Romania not to try and enter into Ukraine due to the ongoing military action.

Ryanair operates all of these flights and BirminghamWorld approached the airline for a comment on if the service will be affected by the Ukraine crisis.

The airline has already suspended all flights to Ukraine for 14 days.

Which countries have closed their airspace to UK flights?

Russia has taken the decision to ban all UK flights from either entering Russian airspace or landing at Russian airports.

Russia has said that the decision to ban UK flights was made in response to the ‘unfriendly’ decision from the UK to ban flights from the Russian airline Aeroflot.

This move was confirmed on Thursday following the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, which issued the decision to ban UK flights from the country, issued a statement this morning.

A spokesperson said: "This measure was taken in accordance with the provisions of the Intergovernmental Air Services Agreement between Russia and the UK as a response to unfriendly decisions by the UK aviation authorities regarding the restriction on regular flights of aircraft owned, leased or operated by a person associated with Russia or registered in Russia."

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told ITV that the decision from the Russian civil aviation authority was a ‘tit for tat response’ to the Aeroflot move from the UK.

He said: "I think that’s their retaliation for us yesterday banning Aeroflot from using and landing in the United Kingdom. That’s their tit for tat response."

Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus also currently have their airspace closed to aircraft from around the world, not just those from the UK.

Could my holiday or flight be cancelled this year?

Flights to Poland and Bucharest from Birmingham unaffected by the Ukraine crisis at present.

Flights from other UK airports to destinations within Ukraine and Russia have been cancelled and this will remain something to keep an eye on as the year progresses.

It is recommended to get in touch with your airline for any queries about your flight.

What should I do if my flight gets cancelled?

If your flight has been cancelled by the airline, they are legally obliged to provide either a full refund or an alternative flight.

According to EU Regulation 261/2004 (a law which the UK has kept since Brexit) if you request a refund, airlines must issue it in full no later than seven days after the scheduled flight.

This is a general rule and is not exclusive in the event of war.

If the trip you had planned was booked as a package holiday, the tour operator is responsible for getting your trip back on track or offering a full refund.

Customers shouldn’t need to claim on travel insurance for a cancelled flight.