US Maintains Ban on Belavia Flights to Russia and Others

The United States has confirmed that Belarusian flag carrier Belavia will remain barred from operating flights to Russia, Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, despite a partial lifting of sanctions. The US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) stated on September 12, 2025, that while some restrictions have been eased, the airline cannot operate to the listed destinations or carry sanctioned individuals or restricted goods.

In a letter to Belavia’s general director Igor Cherginets, the BIS said eight Boeing narrowbodies were removed from the General Prohibition 10 (GP10) list, which restricts the use of US-made assets. The removed aircraft include two Boeing 737-300s, five Boeing 737-800s, and one Boeing 737-8, enabling Belavia to legally use them for domestic and international flights outside the banned countries and to access spare parts and maintenance services.

However, Belavia’s Boeing 737-800(BBJ), EW-001PA, and its Boeing 767-300ER remain under restrictions as they are operated for the Belarusian government rather than commercial services. Overflights of the listed countries are allowed, but the aircraft cannot be used to transport military hardware or act on behalf of sanctioned entities.

Despite the BIS directive, ADS-B data indicates Belavia has already deployed several of the cleared aircraft on flights to Russia, potentially violating US rules. The BIS, part of the Department of Commerce, oversees export controls alongside the Treasury Department’s OFAC, which manages broader sanctions on designated nations, companies, and individuals.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com