“We’ve dealt with the pestilence only to be visited by the war,” said Ryanair’s ever-outspoken CEO Michael O’Leary at a press conference earlier this week.
Just as travel restrictions across Europe and the wider world are easing in response to a drop in the number of new coronavirus infections and hospitalisations, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen international airspace bans cause widespread disruption to the aviation sector, forcing airlines to re-route flight paths and cancel services.
The UK, EU, US and Canada have all banned Russian aircraft from their airspace in response to the country’s unprompted attack; Russia swiftly retaliated by issuing a reciprocal airspace ban.
Meanwhile, all flights between the UK and both Russia and Ukraine have been cancelled until further notice.
So what does the conflict mean for your future plans? And is it safe to book a European break?
Our expert Simon Calder will be on hand to answer all your latest travel questions in an ‘Ask me anything’ event this Friday, between 1pm and 2pm. He will be answering live in the comments section below.
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