Belarus Bans Landing of Aircraft from EU without Special Authorization

The government of Belarus has implemented a ban on the landing of any aircraft entering from European Union airspace, effective December 3, 2023. The ban requires special authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for landing, and it will be in force until at least March 3, 2024. Overflights are not affected by this decision.

The corresponding NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), O0770/23, was issued to protect national interests, according to Belaeronavigatsiya. Simultaneously, the ban extends to aircraft departing from Belarus, preventing them from entering the airspace of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia—Belarus’s EU neighbors.

The impact of this decision is limited, given that all Belarusian airlines have been banned from entering the EU since December 2021. The EU imposed the ban in response to the forced diversion of a Ryanair B737 orchestrated by Belarus to arrest anti-government activists on board. Belarus’s alignment with Russia during the invasion of Ukraine further heightened tensions. Currently, there is no airline traffic between the EU and Russia/Belarus. Foreign airlines from non-EU countries, however, continue to serve Minsk National, linking the city with destinations in Russia and other Asian countries without overflying the EU.