Uzbekistan Airways reroutes European flights to avoid Russian airspace

Uzbekistan Airways has revised its European flight routes to avoid Russian airspace entirely, effective from January 20, as announced by the airline’s Chairman of the Board, Shukhrat Khudaykulov.

The move follows a report by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which identified flights over European Russia as unsafe, Caliber.Az reports, citing Uzbek media.

The new routes now pass further south, traversing Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

Khudaykulov explained that the revised routes add 30–40 minutes to flight times and increase operational costs. However, ticket prices for passengers remain unchanged due to the extraordinary circumstances.

Uzbekistan Airways continuously monitors the safety of airspace, with the airline's flight operations centre analysing real-time data. Should a route be deemed unsafe, immediate action is taken to alter it.

Uzbekistan previously formed a special commission, led by the Prime Minister, to assess safety protocols following the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan. The commission includes representatives from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other agencies.

Khudaykulov emphasized that all flights adhere to the highest safety standards. Current high-risk zones include Ukraine, European Russia, and certain mountainous regions in Asia due to adverse weather conditions.

Additionally, alternative or backup routes have been developed for all flights to ensure passenger safety.

Note that, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a new Conflict Zone Information Bulletin concerning the Russian Federation's airspace. This replaces and expands on previous recommendations outlined in CZIB 2022-01R10.

The updated guidance advises against operating in Russian airspace west of longitude 60° East at any flight level. This applies to all foreign carriers holding an EASA safety authorization (Third-Country Operators). The advisory, valid until 31 July 2025, may be revised or withdrawn earlier depending on updated security assessments.

Although EU airlines have ceased flights to, from, or over Russian airspace due to safety concerns linked to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, some non-EU carriers continue to operate in the region. 

To recap, on December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243, an Embraer 190AR aircraft, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, during an emergency landing attempt. The flight was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia. Of the 67 individuals on board—62 passengers and 5 crew members—38 perished, and 29 survived. Of the five crew members, two lost their lives while three survived.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the aircraft was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missile during efforts to repel a Ukrainian drone attack over Chechnya.

By Aghakazim Guliyev