The forced diversion of a Ryanair Holdings PLC flight over Belarus threatens to undermine a set of safety procedures built up over decades between commercial airlines and the governments and militaries of countries they fly over, pilots and air-safety officials say.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday scrambled a jet fighter that escorted the Ryanair commercial aircraft to Minsk as it was passing through Belarus airspace. Belarus said it did so because of suspicion that explosives were on board.
Authorities there then arrested a prominent journalist and opposition activist onboard, before allowing the plane to continue its journey. The incident has sparked an international outcry and raised questions over the legality of the plane’s grounding and the ramifications for the airline industry.
The European Union, the U.K., Ukraine and Lithuania banned their own airlines from flying over Belarus. Approximately 3,000 flights each week transit Belarus, according to aircraft tracking firm Flightradar24.
The move to avoid the country adds to restrictions already in place in the east of Ukraine following the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet in 2014. While not presenting a major detour for most airlines, rerouting adds time and additional fuel expenses to flights predominantly between Europe and Southeast Asia.
