Aeroflot says it will halt all flights to international destinations with the exception of Belarus. -AP
Aeroflot, Russia's flagship carrier, has announced that it will halt all international flights except to Belarus starting on March 8.
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The move by Russia's biggest state-owned airline comes after the country's aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, recommended that all Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes halt both passenger and cargo flights abroad.
It cited a high risk of foreign-leased planes being impounded as part of sanctions that ban leasing of planes to Russia.
Rosaviatsiya's recommendation does not apply to Russian airlines that use Russian planes or foreign planes that are not at risk of being impounded.
It also does not apply to foreign airlines from countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russia and have not shut down their airspace for Russian planes.
Aeroflot's statement on Saturday cited "circumstances that hinder operating flights" as a reason for its move.
Aeroflot said it would cancel return tickets for passengers who are scheduled to depart Russia after March 6 and travel back after March 8.
Those with one-way tickets will be allowed to fly up until March 8.
Earlier this week, S7, Russia's biggest private airline, announced that it was halting all international flights starting on Saturday.
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