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Russia’s major carrier Aeroflot operates several flights per day through Canadian airspace en route to the United States and beyond.
publication date:
February 26, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 2 minutes read • 60 comments 
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OTTAWA — Russian airliners continue to fly through Canadian skies after several European countries closed their airspace to Russian carriers in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — but Ottawa is putting all options on the table.
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“At this time, Canadian airspace remains open to Russian carriers. However, the department is actively monitoring the current situation and working closely with key allies, including the United States,” said Transport Minister Omar Alghbra. The office said in a statement to The Canadian Press on Friday night.
Russia’s major carrier Aeroflot operates several flights daily through Canadian airspace en route to the US and beyond.
Aerospace consultant Ross Eimer says the route is an important route for the airline, and that Russia will retaliate by banning the flyover.
“It would add hours to the flight, and sometimes make it impossible,” he said of any Canadian airspace being closed to Russian aircraft.
“It’s also a very symbolic message… it’s devastating when they shut it down, because you’re basically saying to your friends and neighbors, ‘You’re not welcome in my house anymore.'”
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Western carriers regularly fly over Russia – the largest country on Earth – en route to Asia and the Middle East, although passenger planes are currently being cleared from Ukraine and parts of Belarus and western Russia.
On Thursday, the United Kingdom suspended Aeroflot’s foreign carrier permits by closing its airspace to Russian passenger planes, along with Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia said on Saturday they would do the same.
In response, Russia has banned commercial flights from the UK, Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
Launched this week, Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine came to a close in the capital of Kiev on Saturday as troops struck the country from three sides.
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On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would hold Putin responsible for a “brutal, unnecessary attack” on Ukraine, along with its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and other top Kremlin figures.
Trudeau also said Canada would support Russia’s removal from SWIFT, the digital payments and messaging network that links thousands of banks around the world, which he said would make it even more difficult for Putin to “finance his brutalities”. .
The Conservatives on Saturday urged the government to do more.
“This unprovoked attack, coming on the heels of a joint agreement between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, is the most serious threat to the rules-based international order since 1945 – and, therefore, a threat to global peace. There is a grave danger and security,” interim leader Candice Bergen said in an emailed statement.
Organizations such as the G20 and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to “isolate Russia internationally” from the party Trudeau to declare Russia’s ambassador persona non Greta and expel him from Canada, recall the Canadian ambassador from Moscow and “isolate Russia internationally”. demanding the removal of Russia from OSCE).
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