- Biden, Harris mark Oct. 7 with call for Mideast peace
- Dupont set for Toulouse return after post-Olympic holiday
- French rugby bosses tighten discipline after nightmare Argentina tour
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street slips
- Visitors to get rare view of Rome's Trevi Fountain
- Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
- Man City and Premier League both claim victory in legal case
- Deschamps delight as 'light back on' for Pogba after doping ban
- Biden, Harris urge Mideast peace on Oct. 7 anniversary
- Neeskens, tough midfielder in Cruyff's Ajax and Dutch teams
- UN warns world's water cycle becoming ever more erratic
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street retreats
- Ex-Dutch football star Johan Neeskens dies
- Man Utd battling to improve fortunes, says Evans
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Hurricane Milton strengthens fast, threatens Mexico, Florida
- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
RBGPF | -1.97% | 58.94 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.12% | 24.784 | $ | |
NGG | -1.23% | 65.69 | $ | |
SCS | -0.49% | 12.907 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.45% | 6.88 | $ | |
RIO | -0.17% | 69.58 | $ | |
GSK | 0.08% | 38.85 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.17% | 24.657 | $ | |
VOD | 0.41% | 9.7 | $ | |
RELX | -0.59% | 46.02 | $ | |
BCC | 0.76% | 139.97 | $ | |
JRI | -0.23% | 13.25 | $ | |
BCE | -0.58% | 33.515 | $ | |
BP | 0.86% | 33.165 | $ | |
AZN | -0.41% | 77.15 | $ | |
BTI | -0.18% | 35.225 | $ |
BA re-routes jets after Russia flights ban
British Airways has suspended flights to Moscow and re-routed planes flying over Russia after Moscow banned UK carriers due to the Ukraine crisis, parent group IAG said Friday.
"We have suspended our flights to Moscow and also the use of Russian airspace, following the confirmation of Russian government restrictions," BA said in a brief statement.
IAG, which owns several carriers including Iberia and Vueling of Spain, normally operates three BA flights per week from London Heathrow airport to Moscow.
BA stressed it was monitoring the situation "closely" and would offer full refunds for cancellations caused by the Ukraine crisis.
Re-routing of some services may lead to longer flight times, it added.
The news came one day after the UK government banned Russian carrier Aeroflot from flying over Britain as part of a series of sanctions against Russia following its assault on neighbour Ukraine.
Moscow in retaliation on Friday banned all UK-linked planes, including transiting flights, from its airspace.
- IAG earnings -
Separately Friday, IAG revealed that its net losses more than halved last year as governments lifted Covid travel curbs.
Loss after tax narrowed sharply to 2.9 billion euros ($3.3 billion) from a record 6.9 billion euros in 2020, when the coronavirus emergency paralysed air travel and grounded flights worldwide.
IAG said passenger capacity last year was 36 percent of its pre-pandemic 2019 level, but this reached 58 percent in the fourth quarter.
"The easing of government-imposed travel restrictions as the year progressed resulted in improving travel demand, in particular following the opening of the US border to foreign travellers" in early November, IAG said.
Total revenues climbed eight percent to almost 8.5 billion euros in 2021.
"We are confident that a strong recovery is underway," said chief executive Luis Gallego.
IAG said the Omicron Covid variant, which emerged late last year, had only a "negative short term impact" on group performance.
Yet IAG expected a "significant" operating loss for the current first quarter, and cited seasonally weak demand, ongoing Omicron uncertainty, and rising costs.
The group then anticipates a return to profitability in the second quarter, but sounded a cautious note over this outlook.
"This assumes no further setbacks related to Covid-19 and government-imposed travel restrictions or material impact from recent geopolitical developments," it said.
IAG aims this year to return to 85 percent of its pre-pandemic passenger capacity.
Its share price rose 1.4 percent on London's rebounding stock market as investors shrugged off Ukraine worries.
"The closure of Ukrainian airspace is unlikely to have a major impact... with regard to their operations," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laura Hoy.
"The larger concern is one of confidence and whether passengers will still want to fly... if the crisis continues to escalate," she told AFP.
S.Gregor--AMWN