The Canadian Ministry of Transport confirmed that a plane belonging to the Russian airline, Aeroflot, entered Canadian airspace on Sunday evening, violating the ban imposed by Canada the same morning. An investigation has been opened.
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“Last night, Aeroflot Flight 111 violated the ban on Russian aircraft operating in Canadian airspace,” Transportation Department spokeswoman Valerie Glazer said.
Transport Canada has embarked on a review of the conduct of Aeroflot and the air navigation service provider that led to this breach. She warned that we will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement and other measures to prevent future violations.
Minister Omar Al-Ghubra met earlier Monday with the CEO of Nav Canada, a company responsible for controlling Canadian airspace.
According to a federal source, Aeroflot justified its incursion into Canadian airspace by presenting itself as a “humanitarian flight.”
“We are very concerned about this request,” the source said.
Canada closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, along with a group of European countries.
The United States, still resisting the idea of closing its airspace to the Russians, urged Americans living in Russia to leave the country as soon as possible, before the ban continues to increase.
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