Effective Saturday, 5th March, S7 Airlines is canceling all international flights. The decision comes as countries impose hefty economic sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, including a ban on European airspace for all the country's airlines. Here's a look at the impact.

Gone

In a huge blow to Russia's second-biggest carrier, S7 Airlines has announced that it will cease international flights from tomorrow. The airline has been hit hard by sanctions from the European Union, including a complete ban on using its airspace for commercial flights by any Russian carrier.

This meant the airline's sizable network from Germany, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Spain, and France was canceled last week. Moreover, flights to North Africa, such as Egypt and Jordan, would take considerably longer to avoid EU airspace, making them unfeasible. In 2021, S7 Airlines carried over 1.6 million international passengers, a number which will now plummet due to sanctions.

Passengers due to fly on S7's foreign services will be contacted and offered a full refund for their canceled flights. Anyone looking to fly to Europe now will need to make lengthy connections through the Middle East for the foreseeable future.

Not all

The suspension of all international flights does not have an end date as of now. Given the ongoing war, S7 may have thought it prudent to cancel all international flights for the coming months. However, the carrier could still maintain connections to neighboring countries like Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Much of East Asia and the Middle East remains accessible as well, so flights to Turkey and the UAE will be back in the future, while those to East Asia, including China, may take longer due to COVID restrictions.

However, there is another reason to avoid international flights: repossessing aircraft. Lessors in Ireland have announced plans to terminate leases with Russian carriers, in line with sanctions, which means S7 could be at risk of losing its planes if they leave the country. Pobeda and Ural Airlines have already seen their planes seized abroad, and S7 is also a target.

According to ch-aviation, 100 out of 105 of S7 Airlines' aircraft are currently leased, most of which are from western lessors such as AerCap (24), ALC (10), and more. For now, don't expect to see these planes venture abroad at the risk of being seized upon arrival.

Tightening

As backlash from Russia's invasion of Ukraine grows, countries are upping sanctions that hurt businesses and the country's economy. The EU is joined by the UK, US, and Canada in banning Russian airlines from their skies, causing millions of dollars in losses from these lucrative markets. Russia has reciprocated these restrictions, but its airlines will be hurt the most, the goal of these sanctions. For now, expect to see far less connectivity in and out of the vast country as sanctions only mount.

Have you been affected by the war in Ukraine? Let us know in the comments.