Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ban all airline companies that fly to and from Russia from UK airspace (and not merely specific aircraft); whether they plan to encourage the European Union to impose a similar ban; and if not, why not.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is aware of several third-country airlines which continue to operate to and from Russia, while also separately operating services to and from the UK. The UK’s international connectivity benefits considerably from the operations of third-country airlines, particularly those operating to/from points beyond their home hubs. Any action, in respect of third-countries, must, therefore, be balanced against the consequences for the wider economy, which includes the needs of UK exporters and the travelling public, as well as considering potential reciprocal prohibitions against UK airlines. Where sanctions are specifically being considered, we must consider whether a proposed action meets the stated purposes of The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (“2019 Regulations”).

The Government’s position also has to be considered in the context of the UK’s international obligations under its portfolio of bilateral Air Services Agreements (ASA), which guarantee market access for UK airlines abroad, and for foreign airlines to/from the UK.

The Government remains committed to supporting Ukraine and exerting pressure, through the UK’s sanctions regime, on Russia to cease its war of aggression. The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the enforcement of transport sanctions in place against Russia. Transport sanctions include prohibitions on the movement of aircraft and ships. In respect of the aviation prohibitions against Russia, this includes prohibiting Russian aircraft as defined in The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (“2019 Regulations”), from landing in the UK or using UK airspace. In addition, and as noted in our previous response to your WPQ (HL3716), under the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Russian Aircraft) Regulations 2022 the Department has imposed a prohibition on any aircraft flying to and from Russian aerodromes from using UK airspace.

The UK has imposed one of the most substantive transport prohibitions under both UK sanctions and aviation law against Russia. This enabled the government to take significant enforcement action under the 2019 Regulations including the detention of aircraft and ships with links to Russia. The Government also prevented key Russian airlines from selling their unused landing slots at UK airports worth millions. Furthermore, ensuring ongoing compliance with UK transport sanctions remains a priority for the UK government and we continue to explore new ways to encourage compliance. These actions have had a material impact on Russia and its aviation sector and has prevented them from profiting from the UK’s aviation and maritime sectors.

We continue to balance these priorities and are working closely with our G7 partners, particularly the US and EU, in our engagement with a range of third-countries. However, this remains a deeply complex area. We continue to review the transport sanctions we have in place and explore additional ways we can support Ukraine.