The European Union recommends suspending about 300 flights in the airspace of Belarus after the incident with the forced landing of the Ryanair plane, reports Reuters with reference to the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol).
In total, on average, about 400 flights are made over Belarus, and those that are non-stop are recommended for suspension. At the same time, the organization notes that 100 flights a day are operated by carriers from the European Union and the United Kingdom, and recommends that they change their flight routes.
“The most effective way for the majority of carriers flying over Belarus will be to change the route through the Baltic States,” says Eurocontrol.
On May 23, after an emergency landing of the plane of the Irish airline Ryanair, en route from Athens to Vilnius, Belarusian law enforcement officers detained the founder of the Telegram channel NEXTA Roman Protasevich. It was also reported about the detention of his girlfriend, Russian Sofia Sapegi.
In Belarus, Protasevich is charged with several counts, including organizing mass riots. The Telegram channel NEXTA is recognized by the Belarusian authorities as extremist.
The summit of EU leaders decided to ban Belarusian airlines from flying to EU airports and flying over its territory. The decision has not yet entered into force, as it must be agreed and approved by the EU Council at the ministerial level.
France has closed its skies to the Belarusian airline Belavia. A number of European airlines have also stopped flying over Belarus.
