The European Union has taken the decisive step of barring Turkey’s Southwind Airlines from its airspace amid suspicions of connections to Russia, as reported by Swiss-based news outlet Aero Telegraph.
Founded in 2022 to facilitate travel between Russia and Turkey, the Antalya-based charter airline sought authorization for expanded operations to Germany, Greece, Finland, and other EU nations.
This measure aligns with the EU’s broader sanctions against Russia stemming from the Ukraine conflict.
However, following an investigation revealing significant Russian stakeholder influence, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency prohibited Southwind Airlines from operating within its airspace on March 25.
Brussels subsequently notified EU member states on March 28, activating a ban on Southwind Airlines from taking off, flying over, or landing in EU airspace under existing regulations targeting Russian sanctions. This prohibition came into immediate effect, affecting the carrier’s operations.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) responded by canceling Southwind flights between Antalya and Kaliningrad due to the newly imposed EU airspace restrictions, which forced the airline to reroute its flights away from EU-controlled skies.
Concerns regarding the origins of the Turkish carrier were initially raised by the German tabloid Bild in December, highlighting Southwind’s purported ties to Russian nationals and its operational dependency on Nordwind Airlines, a Russian carrier banned by the EU.
Safa Oruc, head of aviation safety at Southwind, countered these claims by affirming to the Finnish YLE news outlet that the airline was Turkish-owned and registered, with all aircraft properly domiciled in Türkiye.
The EU’s move comes within the context of broader airspace restrictions imposed on Russian aviation entities since the outset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Corresponding measures have been adopted by the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, with reciprocal actions taken by Russia against airlines from these nations.
Furthermore, in February, the EU and US introduced additional sanctions targeting various entities across multiple countries, including Turkey.
This included sanctions on 16 Turkish companies accused of facilitating the transit of dual-use goods potentially beneficial to the Russian military.
The US also cautioned Ankara of the risk of secondary sanctions against Turkish banks and additional companies engaged in dealings with Russian entities.
