Lufthansa Flights Over Russia Suspended

Published: 02/11/07

Lufthansa are no longer able to fly over Russia with cargo since the Russian authorities did not extend their traffic rights as has normally been the case. The ruling does not impact on any regular Lufthansa flights to Russia or beyond, only the cargo ones.

The main route affected seems to be the service to Astana from Frankfurt, from where there are forty-nine flights per week. The carrier has amended the route to avoid Russian airspace, though this adds an hour and a half to the journey.

At the moment the reason for the suspension is unclear, the airline usually having a regular extension of their agreement implemented automatically. One suggestion is that there have been questions asked about the rising cost of flying over Russia, so the point is being made that it is worth the price.

Author: flightnews@googlemail.co.uk