European aviation traffic share of selected CEE countries 2021

The number of passengers on international flights to and from Russia accounted for 5.7 percent of the total European passenger aviation traffic (excluding Russian domestic flights) in 2021. Furthermore, air passengers between Ukraine and Europe represented over three percent of the total.

European air passenger traffic during the war in Ukraine

During the Russia-Ukraine war, the airspaces over Ukraine, Moldova, and some parts of Belarus were closed for passenger flights. At the end of February and the beginning of March 2022, nearly 40 countries worldwide banned Russian airlines from their airspace. In Europe, among them were European Union (EU) members, the United Kingdom, and several Balkan countries. The move was reciprocated by the Russian government. Furthermore, several airports in southern Russia temporarily stopped operation, including those in Rostov-on-Don (Platov) and Krasnodar (Pashkovsky).