The diversion of a U.S.-built Air India jetliner to Russia with engine problems has thrust industry tensions surrounding Russian airspace into the spotlight – just a day after the head of a major American carrier predicted an almost identical scenario.
A global industry meeting ended on Tuesday with carriers at odds over the use of Russia as a pivotal crossing point in the global air transport network, with United Airlines citing trade concerns but India’s flag carrier defending it.
A Russian ban on some foreign carriers using its airspace, in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, has redrawn air routes and upset business models for some airlines that now need to fly around the world’s largest country.
