Russia bans airlines from 36 countries

Russia announced Monday it was banning flights by airlines from 36 countries including Britain and Germany in response to a slew of bans on its planes.

Moscow's statement came as Russian airlines are now unable to enter the airspace of the vast majority of European countries as well as Canada.

Its list includes Jersey, which is a dependency of the UK, and Gibraltar, a British overseas territory.

Russia's civil aviation authority said it was bringing in the restrictions "as a retaliatory measure for the ban by European states on flights by civil aviation operated by Russian airlines or registered in Russia".

Airlines will only be able to enter Russian airspace with a special permit.

Last week Russia banned UK airlines after Britain barred Aeroflot, the country's flagship carrier, as well as private jets.

The European Union announced Sunday that it was closing its airspace to Russian aircraft, including private jets.

These measures will mean airlines have to make long detours on some routes, potentially raising the cost of tickets.

Source: AFP