Air Arabia, one of largest airlines in Middle East and North Africa, cancels autumn flights to Russia en masse after Zelenskyy’s warning about flight risks
Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, has begun cancelling large numbers of flights to Russia scheduled for the autumn. This comes a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned airlines and insurers about the risks of flying to Russian airports.
Russian media reported this, citing the travel industry portal Profi.Travel and tourism industry representatives, according to Censor.NET.
According to the reports, travel agents in Russia discovered that Air Arabia bookings for October had been cancelled, although they had not yet received an official notification from the carrier. They said the airline cancelled a number of scheduled flights on 9 September.
Russian media also reported cancellations of flights from Russia’s regions. Passengers who have already purchased tickets for October are being offered full refunds.
Air Arabia confirmed the flight cancellations and assured passengers that their tickets would be refunded. The airline’s statements cited in the reports did not specify the reasons for the decision.
Air Arabia has been operating since 2003 and serves more than 170 destinations worldwide.
Zelenskyy warned airlines about the risks of flights to Russia
A week earlier, Zelenskyy urged airlines and insurance companies to take into account the risks of flying to Russian airports, particularly those in Moscow, St Petersburg and other major cities.
The president stressed that Ukraine’s actions were not directed against civil aviation but warned that Ukrainian drones would remain present in Russian airspace.
"There will be drones in Russia’s skies, so this must be taken into account," Zelenskyy said.
However, in the information cited, the airline did not confirm a direct causal link between Zelenskyy’s statement and Air Arabia’s decision to cancel flights.
Air Tanzania had previously suspended flights to Moscow, citing security risks following an assessment of the route. On 2 September, one of its aircraft was diverted from Moscow to St Petersburg amid Ukrainian UAV attacks and temporary restrictions at Moscow airports. The carrier subsequently resumed flights.
