The sanctions that President Petro Poroshenko introduced against Russian airlines after a meeting of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council apply only to operation of flights through the territory of Ukraine. Flights from/to Ukraine and transit flights will continue to operate. The general director of the Boryspil international airport (Kiev), Yevhen Dykhne, announced this to journalists on Tuesday, 22 September, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reports.
According to him, enforcement of the the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council’s decision lies more within the area of responsibility of Ukraine’s State Air Traffic Service Enterprise (UkSATSE) because the sanctions affect only flights through the country.
Dykhne added that nothing has changed in the operations of the Borispol airport as a result of the sanctions.
As reported, the Ukrainian sanctions affect more than 20 Russian airlines, including Aeroflot and three of its subsidiaries, as well as Transaero and Siberia. They all face "restrictions, partial or complete termination of transit of resources, flights, and transportation through the territory of Ukraine." The statement by the general director of the Boryspil airport was actually the first precise explanation of the essence of the sanctions.
