The European Union will prohibit Belarusian airlines to use the airspace of European countries and flights to the airports of EU countries. This is stated in the statement of the head of the European Council of the Charles Michel according to the results of the EU Summit on Belarus.
“The Summit entrusts the EU Council to take the necessary measures to ban Belarusian flight carriers in the EU airspace and close access to the EU airports [States] for flights that are carried out by such airlines,” the final statement said. This decision does not take effect yet, it must be coordinated and approved in the EU Council at the ministerial level.
In addition, the Summit of the European Union Heads called on the International Organization of Civil Aviation (ICAO) to investigate the incident with the Ryanair flight in Belarus and promised to introduce new sanctions against Minsk.
Earlier, the leaders of the European Union countries following the summit in Brussels, called to introduce new sanctions against Belarus due to the forced landing of the airline Ryanair in Minsk and the detention on board the creator of the Telegram channel NEXTA Roman Protasevich. EU leaders also called on European air carriers to avoid flights over Belarus.
Before that, the largest fraction of the European Parliament – the European People’s Party (UNP) – called for a complete cessation of flights with Belarus after the enforcement planting of the Irish Loadoster Ryanair. The faction also made a requirement to adopt the fourth package of sanctions against Belarus.
On May 23, the airline Ryanair, who followed the route Athens – Vilnius, made an emergency landing in Minsk after mining reports. On board the creator of the Telegram channel NEXTA Roman Protasevich was detained. The head of international diplomacy of the European Union Jozep Borrel demanded an international investigation of an incident with a forced landing of an aircraft.
In Belarus, Protasevich is accused of creating extremist formation and calls for mass riots after the presidential elections in August 2020. He may threaten up to 15 years in prison.