In a statement on January 9, EASA said it updated the CZIB, adding Russia and its four flight information regions (FIR) to the list of potentially dangerous airspaces for civil aircraft operators.
According to the European aviation authority, the decision was made in order to “ensure maximum flight safety amid Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
The new CZIB replaced and broadened the scope of a previous CZIB, which was issued following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, urging operators not to operate within the airspace of Ukraine.
Now, EASA has warned airlines about potentially flying above Russia, including its key cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, arguing that civil aircraft can be unintentionally targeted above Russia “due to possible civil-military coordination deficiencies, and the potential for misidentification.”
“In particular, the activation of Russian air defence systems, capable of operating at all altitudes, in response to Ukrainian missile and drone launches, which have extended deep inside Russian territory, may have a direct impact on flight operations at several locations, including major international airports.”
The agency noted that most incidents have occurred in airspace not closed by Russia during drone attacks or activation of air defense systems, posing a risk to flight operations. Additional risks come from GPS spoofing and jamming, particularly around areas around the conflict zone.
“EASA recommends not to operate within the affected airspace of the Russian Federation located west of longitude 60° East at all altitudes and flight levels.”
The accident, which resulted in the deaths of 38 innocent people out of the 67 souls onboard the E190, occurred just a few hours after Ukraine attacked Grozny with drones, as outlined by RBC-Ukraine.
As it approached Grozny, the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft encountered GPS jamming and attempted to land at the airport, according to The New York Times, which cited survivors onboard.
Subsequently, Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant on the flight, heard a strange noise outside the aircraft and received a cut on his arm.
The aircraft diverted and then attempted to land at Aktau International Airport (SCO), Kazakhstan, on the other shore of the Caspian Sea.
While Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, who launched the invasion of Ukraine, disguising it as a ‘special military operation’ that has now lasted for almost three years, has apologized to Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, the country has refused to take the blame for the accident.
On January 9, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's media representative, said that stakeholders had to conduct an “objective, impartial” investigation to determine the cause of the accident, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
On January 6, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan will “demand justice and the punishment of those responsible for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in this disaster,” per the Azeri Press Agency (APA).
“If timely measures had been taken to close the Russian airspace near the city of Grozny, if all the rules of ground services had been observed, as well as proper coordination between the armed forces of the Russian Federation and civilian services, this tragedy would not have happened.”
EASA noted that the European Union (EU) Conflict Zone Alerting System was established following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 , which happened above Eastern Ukraine, in territory controlled by the Russia-sponsored Donetsk People's Republic on July 17, 2014.
“Active since early 2016, it facilitates cooperation among EU Member States, institutions, EASA, and aviation stakeholders to share intelligence on risks from conflict zones.”
The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER, traveling between Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), was shot down with a Buk surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people onboard the widebody aircraft.
