In addition to the air traffic restrictions adopted on Saturday, 26 February 2022, the State Civil Aviation Agency issued a new aeronautical information notice tonight, prohibiting the use of Latvian airspace by aircraft associated with Russia and its legal entities or individuals.
The European Council decided yesterday to ban the use of European Union (EU) airspace. This means that the use of Latvian airspace is prohibited for all Russian citizens who directly or indirectly control an aircraft, regardless of the country in which the aircraft is registered.
The European Council has taken a decision in response to Russia’s large-scale military aggression against Ukraine and in view of Russia’s potential future actions, which could pose a threat to the EU and its citizens.
The restrictions apply to all types of flights, including flights within the EU and involving Russian citizens or companies controlled by them. As a result, flight oversight is strengthened at Member State level, assessing both the country of registration and ownership of the aircraft and the purpose of the flight. European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation or EUROCONTROL provides the primary oversight of flights in accordance with the requirements of EU regulations. The air navigation service providers of the Member States, including Latvia, receive flight plans approved by EUROCONTROL.
It has previously been reported that Latvian airspace is closed to commercial flights with Russian-registered carriers from midnight on 27 February 2022.