Biden To Ban Russian Flights Over US Airspace As Boeing Suspends Support Service For Russian Airlines

Among the many things to be announced by Joe BIden in his SOTU speech tonight, one will be that the U.S. government will ban Russian aircraft from American airspace, broadening aviation restrictions as the West expands sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

• PRESIDENT BIDEN PLANS TO ANNOUNCE ON TUESDAY THE UNITED STATES WILL BAN RUSSIAN FLIGHTS FROM U.S. AIRSPACE FOLLOWING EU AND CANADA – RTRS

This echoes a report from the WSJ which earlier noted that an order barring Russian-owned and -operated aircraft from U.S. airspace is expected to be issued as soon as within the next 24 hours.

The U.S. move would follow earlier prohibitions by European and Canadian authorities. The restrictions, which Russia has retaliated against by issuing a similar ban on European flights, have disrupted airline flight plans as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine escalates.

Meanwhile, in a potentially far more ominous development, Politico reporter Lee Hudson tweeted that Boeing has suspended aircraft maintenance and support services for Russian airlines,

“We have suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv,” Hudson tweets, citing company statement.

JUST IN: From Boeing, “We have suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv. We have also suspended parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines.”

— Lee Hudson (@LeeHudson_) March 1, 2022

In other words, going forward anyone flying in a Russian Boeing will do so knowing that the plane was not serviced and is a potential death trap, even more so than just flying in a 737 MAX, the airplane best known for being “designed by clowns, who in turn were supervised by monkeys.” Naturally, this means that all Russian commercial flights will be effectively grounded overnight.