The EU has imposed a blanket flight ban on Russian planes, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced.
"We are shutting down EU airspace for Russian-owned, Russian-registered or Russian-controlled aircraft," she said.
All such planes, including the private jets of oligarchs, will now be unable to land in, take off from or fly over any EU nation.
Russian planes have also been banned from UK airspace.
Russia's biggest airline, Aeroflot, said it would cancel all flights to European destinations until further notice in a retaliatory move on Sunday.
Ahead of the decision, European countries had been closing their airspace one by one. Germany said its ban would last three months.
Departure boards at Moscow's Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports showed dozens of cancellations on Sunday, including flights to Paris, Vienna and Kaliningrad.
Russia's S7 Airlines said on Facebook it would cancel flights to many of its European destinations until at least 13 March.
Russia has been responding with tit-for-tat restrictions on countries banning its flights.
The Commission president said that the EU was also going to ban Russia's state-owned news outlets Sputnik and Russia Today, widely seen as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. "We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe," she said.
The restrictions on flights will require Russian airlines to take circuitous routes, resulting in longer flight times.
Commercial airlines are also avoiding airspace around Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus following Russia's invasion.
In the US, Delta Air Lines said it would suspend a flight booking agreement with Russia's Aeroflot.
The UK's ban on Russian flights led Moscow to retaliate with a similar curb on British planes.
Virgin Atlantic said avoiding Russia would add between 15 minutes and an hour to its flights between the UK and India and Pakistan.
Australian airline Qantas said it would use a longer route for its direct flight between Darwin and London that does not overfly Russia.
Latest Stories
-
From Gold Coast Ghana to Gold Cost Ghana?
13 mins -
There hasn’t been enough awareness about new curriculum – Parent
17 mins -
betPawa to invest GH¢7m into Ghana Premier League and Women’s FA Cup in 5yrs
21 mins -
Child poverty can be addressed with the right priorities and policies – UNICEF
22 mins -
Ghana’s exchange rate problems need more than gold purchases – IMANI
27 mins -
IMANI calls for review of Ghana’s procurement law to enhance transparency
28 mins -
Women in Worship organisers mad at Nigeria’s Ada Ehi over ‘no show’
29 mins -
Everything is more difficult now – Guardiola
34 mins -
Mahama will make the economy viable for the youth to become entrepreneurs – Osman Ayariga
39 mins -
East Legon crash: Police pursue TikTokers for ‘false claims’ about Salifu Amoako’s son’s location
1 hour -
Severe food shortage force some SHSs to serve repetitive meals
1 hour -
Don Julio 1942 launched by Guinness Ghana Breweries with an enchanting Halloween Ball celebration
1 hour -
3 Central Region MCEs intensify cholera control efforts after 5 deaths
1 hour -
Bawumia’s 12 ‘Bold Steps’ to expand educational opportunities for all
1 hour -
Mahama criticises NPP for accumulating energy debt to pass on to next NDC gov’t
1 hour