Russian Flights Barred From U.S. Airspace Except for Emergencies

(Bloomberg) -- Russian aircraft won't be permitted to enter U.S. airspace after 9 p.m. Washington time on Wednesday under a flight ban President Joe Biden announced in his State of the Union address.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's official Special Security Instruction, posted on the agency's website Wednesday, said it would make exceptions for approved diplomatic or humanitarian flights, and for aircraft with in-flight emergencies.

Operators who don't comply “may be intercepted, and their pilots and other crewmembers detained and interviewed by law enforcement or security personnel,” the FAA notice said.

“Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,” Biden said Tuesday night to bipartisan applause before Congress.

“He has no idea what's coming,” Biden said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The action is largely symbolic since earlier airspace closings in Europe and Canada have made it very difficult for Russian aircraft to reach the U.S. from most locations. Canada blocked two Russian aircraft attempting to return to Russia from the U.S. on Monday.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. said on Tuesday it would stop flying over Russia, becoming the last major U.S. passenger carrier to withdraw from the airspace following the invasion of Ukraine.

American Airlines Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. had earlier said they stopped flying over Russia on Feb. 23, shifting routes linking U.S. cities to destinations such as Tokyo and Incheon, South Korea.

As it has done for other nations that moved to ban its aircraft, Russia is likely to respond in kind to the U.S. order.

While impacts will be limited, it will prompt some flights to take longer routes, costing more for fuel and labor.

Details remain unclear, but U.S. cargo operators, which fly to more locations in the Persian Gulf and Asia, may have to make more adjustments than passenger carriers.

The sanctions imposed against Russia are causing increasing impacts on the aviation industry.

Boeing Co. is suspending major operations in Moscow and temporarily restricting employees and partners in Russia from accessing sensitive technical data until it can secure export licenses from the U.S. government.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation also halted flights of the giant Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft by Russia's Volga-Dnepr Group that are used to carry aircraft parts to Boeing plants in the U.S.