Flights from Moscow over Lithuania clarified as non-Russian registered transit

A Lithuanian resident raised concerns after observing two aircraft originating from Moscow flying over Lithuania, as tracked on the flight monitoring website Flightradar24. The sighting prompted questions about whether Lithuania had opened its airspace to Russian flights.

However, the air traffic control and communications company "Oro navigacija" provided an explanation. Both aircraft were registered in Turkey and Tunisia, respectively. This classification means they fall under a category of flights not currently subject to the restrictions imposed on Russian carriers.

According to "Oro navigacija" representative Ingrida Mačiežaitė, these were regular transit flights operating along their planned routes. "This means these aircraft fall into a category for which restrictions do not apply. These are regular transit flights, to which no sanctions are currently applied, and the aircraft flew along the routes indicated in the flight plans," she stated.

The specific flights observed included one from Pegasus, a Turkish low-cost airline, flying to Antalya, and another from Nouvelair, a Tunisian airline, en route to Monastir. Similar observations of flights between Russia and Turkey have been noted, with planes from airlines like Turkish Airlines and Pegasus flying between St. Petersburg and Istanbul. Additionally, an Egyptair flight from Poland was seen transiting over southeastern Lithuania before heading to Moscow via Belarus.

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This means these aircraft fall into a category for which restrictions do not apply. These are regular transit flights, to which no sanctions are currently applied, and the aircraft flew along the routes indicated in the flight plans.