The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) updated its Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) to include certain regions in Russia, citing deficiencies in the coordination of civil and military air traffic.
EASA stated that the addition of Russia and its four flight information regions (FIR) to the list of potentially hazardous airspaces was to ensure maximum flight safety amidst Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine. This update replaces and expands the scope of a previous bulletin issued after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which had urged operators to avoid Ukrainian airspace.
The agency has now cautioned airlines about flying over Russia, including key cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg. EASA highlighted that civil aircraft could unintentionally become targets due to potential deficiencies in civil-military coordination and the risk of misidentification.
Particularly concerning is the activation of Russian air defence systems in response to Ukrainian missile and drone launches, which have reached deep into Russian territory. This may impact flight operations at major international airports.
EASA also noted that most incidents have occurred in airspace not closed by Russia during drone attacks or the activation of air defence systems. Additional risks come from GPS spoofing and jamming, especially around the conflict zone.
The recommendation from EASA is to avoid operating within the affected airspace of the Russian Federation located west of longitude 60° East at all altitudes and flight levels.
EASA noted that the risks had been exemplified by the shooting down of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190, registered as 4K-AZ65, destined to fly to Kadyrov Grozny International Airport (GRV) on Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243 on December 25.
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