China has barred Russia’s airlines from flying foreign-owned jetliners into its airspace, Russian news outlet RBK reports.
The reported move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin threw the aircraft’s ownership into doubt by allowing them to be re-registered in Russia to avoid seizure under sanctions over Moscow’s attack on Ukraine.
The European Union, home to major aircraft leasing companies, banned the sale or lease of aircraft to Russian carriers in February. Putin responded by approving the re-registration measure in March, which prompted suggestions foreign owners may never recover planes worth billions of dollars.
China’s air regulator asked all foreign carriers last month to update ownership information and other details, RBK reported, citing two unidentified sources. It said Russian airlines that could not provide documents showing their aircraft were “de-registered abroad” were barred from Chinese airspace, AlJazeera reports.
