The U.S. government will ban Russian aircraft from American airspace, broadening aviation restrictions as the West expands sanctions over the war in Ukraine, President Joe Biden said Tuesday during his State of the Union address.
“Tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights—further isolating Russia—and adding an additional squeeze on their economy,” Biden said.
The U.S. move, earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal, follows earlier prohibitions by European and Canadian authorities. The restrictions, which Russia has retaliated against by issuing a similar ban on European and Canadian flights, have disrupted airline flight plans as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine escalates.
U.S. passenger carriers don’t operate nonstop flights to Russia, but its airspace is part of a corridor for many long-haul flights to Asia, including air-cargo services. United Airlines Holdings Inc.
UAL,
which typically flies over Russia en route to India, said Tuesday that it would stop flying through Russian airspace. Delta Air Lines Inc.
DAL,
and American Airlines Group Inc.
AAL,
have also stopped flying through Russian airspace.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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