US President Joe Biden announced on March 1, 2022 a ban on Russian flights from American airspace following similar moves by the European Union and Canada in the wake of Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

“Tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia – and adding an additional squeeze –on their economy. The Ruble has lost 30% of its value,” Biden said in his State of the Union address.

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) said that the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) and regulatory orders will suspend operations of all aircraft owned, certified, operated, registered, chartered, leased, or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, a person who is a citizen of Russia.

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“This includes passenger and cargo flights, and scheduled as well as charter flights, effectively closing U.S. air space to all Russian commercial air carriers and other Russian civil aircraft,” the US DOT said in a statement, adding that the orders will take effect by the end of the day Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

Russian flights have been effectively barred from US destinations for the most part in recent days due to bans from Canadian and European airspace.

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