Following an onslaught of sanctions imposed on Russia in opposition to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian President has hit back at global nations. The nation has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries.

Not only can airlines from these countries not fly into Russia, they also can not travel over the country via its airspace.

This is likely to mean an assortment of cancelled flights to and from Russia, as well as longer flight times as pilots reroute around the transcontinental nation.

Some of the banned countries had already been identified, while others were named by the aviation authority Rosaviatsia for the first time on Monday following the punitive measures imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

However, Rosaviatsia said that flights from those countries could in exceptional circumstances be authorised if they secure special clearance from Russia's aviation authority or foreign ministry.

Flight cancellations to Russia

Getty Images Flight cancellations to Russia

Without access to Russia's airways, experts say carriers will have to divert flights south while also avoiding areas of tension in the Middle East.

The 36 countries banned from Russia include all 27 European Union member states.

According to Rosaviatsia, the banned countries are as follows:

  • Albania - Anguilla - Austria - Belgium - Bulgaria - British Virgin Islands - Germany - Gibraltar - Hungary - Greece
  • Denmark - Canada - Croatia - Cyprus - Estonia - Finland - France - Jersey - Ireland - Iceland - Italy - Latvia
  • Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta - the Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Portugal - Romania

Map of ukraine territorial disputes© DX Map of ukraine territorial disputes

  • Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - United Kingdom

How will I know if my flight is impacted?

Passengers should be notified by their individual airline if airspace closures are likely to impact their journey.

British Airways, which uses operates flights to Russia and some on flight paths through the airspace, said in a statement: "We have suspended our flights to Moscow and also the use of Russian airspace, following the confirmation of Russian government restrictions.

"We apologise for the inconvenience but this is clearly a matter beyond our control.

"We are notifying customers on cancelled services and are offering a full refund.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely."