Major U.S. airlines have temporarily suspended flying over Russian airspace as the invasion of Ukraine continues.
Although U.S. airlines like United, American and Delta don’t fly directly to Russia, some flights pass through Russian airspace in order to get to places such as India or Seoul, reported by Fox News.
The move comes as the U.S. joins its allies in banning Russian flights from its airspace, topping off a wave of sanctions imposed on the country that has so far caused its currency, the ruble, to plunge, and are also expected to hammer its economy.
During the State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Biden said the move will further isolate Russia, “adding an additional squeeze on their economy.”
Over the weekend, the European Union and Canada announced they were closing their airspace to Russian airlines and private planes owned by wealthy Russians.
In an internal note shared with FOX Business, American Airlines said it ceased flying over Ukrainian and Russian airspace for any international flying and as a result, re-routed its flight between Delhi, India, and New York “out of an abundance caution.”
Its last flight over Russian airspace was on Feb. 23, the carrier said.
American also “indefinitely suspended its interline agreements with Aeroflot and S7, including our oneworld Frequent Flier Program with S7.”
Cargo airlines FedEx and UPS, both of which fly over Russia, also announced over the weekend that they were temporarily suspending deliveries to the country. FedEx is suspending all package delivery into Russia while UPS announced it was suspending all services to and from Russia.