Air Tanzania becomes first airline to halt flights to Russia after Zelensky warning

Air Tanzania has become the first airline to suspend flights to Russia after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned this week that the country’s airspace was unsafe.

The airline said it would temporarily halt its Dar es Salaam to Moscow service from Friday following “a routine risk assessment of the operating environment along the route.” Passengers holding tickets will receive full refunds.

Air Tanzania said it would continue monitoring conditions in consultation with relevant authorities. “We continue to monitor conditions in consultation with the relevant authorities and will announce the resumption of services as soon as the assessment supports it,” the airline said.

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a routine risk assessment of the operating environment along the route

The statement did not directly refer to safety in Russia or to the war in Ukraine. Still, the timing linked the suspension to Zelenskyy’s warning. European and U.S. airlines have avoided Russian airspace since the war began in 2022, while airlines from China, Turkey and Gulf states continue to use it.

Russia’s aviation watchdog, Rosaviatsiya, said it had received no notifications that foreign airlines planned to withdraw from Russia. Its head, Dmitriy Yadrov, said Russia’s foreign ministry and the watchdog would cooperate with the International Civil Aviation Organization on civilian flights. Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin said international carriers had requested clarification about flight safety rules.

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We continue to monitor conditions in consultation with the relevant authorities and will announce the resumption of services as soon as the assessment supports it