EASA declares Ukrainian, Russian, Moldovan and Belarusian areas an 'active conflict zone'

EASA updated (24-Feb-2022) its recommendation to outline no operations should be conducted within the airspaces of Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and Belarus, including landing and departures from airports located in the affected airspace. EASA stated the affected airspaces include all altitudes and flight levels in the Lviv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Simferopol, Odessa, Chisinau and Rostov flight information regions (FIR) and within 200 nautical miles surrounding the borders with Ukraine in the Moscow and Rostov FIRs. The recommendation warns the areas are an "active conflict zone" and that there is risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft. EASA stated the presence and possible use of a wide range of ground and airborne warfare systems poses a "high risk for civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels". [more - original PR]