Major international insurance companies could stop covering planes flying over Ukraine.
Sources cited by outlets, said this could mean that not only international airlines, but also most Ukrainian airlines, would not be able to fly in Ukrainian airspace, as many domestically operated jets are either leased to Ukrainian airlines by foreign owners or at least insured overseas. Moreover, the leased aircraft may be ordered to leave Ukraine “in the near future,” the outlet reported.
According to the Ukrainian outlet, one source said the British insurers are “imposing an air blockade” on the Eastern European country, with no single jet able to “fly in and out of Ukraine starting from approximately Monday afternoon.”
The news coincided with a decision to halt all flights to Ukraine by Dutch flag carrier KLM Airlines. In a statement released on Saturday, KLM said the “next flight to the capital Kiev is scheduled for tonight but will not be operated.”
The airline cited “travel advice” being adjusted to “code red,” as well as an “extensive safety analysis.” The Dutch airline said the move was about “choosing safe and optimal routes,” and was made on the basis of information shared by the Dutch intelligence services, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Lufthansa reportedly said that the “possibility of halting services is being considered,” adding that the company is “closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine.” The airline’s representative clarified, however, that “no decision has yet been made.”
Ukrainian airlines have yet to issue any official comments, while most foreign air carriers are still selling tickets to Ukraine.