US warns airlines of flights near the Russian-Ukrainian border

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday urged airlines to take “extreme caution” when flying near the Ukraine-Russia border, citing possible flight safety risks.

In a warning to U.S. carriers on Saturday, the U.S. agency noted “escalating regional tensions between Russia and Ukraine that could lead to unannounced cross-border skirmishes, increased military activity and / or conflict.” “.

Since 2014, the FAA has banned U.S. civil aviation operations in border regions between Ukraine and Russia. The notice also said that airlines must notify the FAA of a minimum of 72 hours of scheduled flights in the region.

The FAA and other air regulators are concerned about the potential for a civilian plane to fall during a conflict because it was misidentified.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a missile fired from the territory held by pro-Russian rebels during fighting with Ukrainian government troops. , according to international researchers. The 298 people on board died, two-thirds of them of Dutch nationality.

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