Detour via Nearby Baltic States... Flying an Average of 74km More
Captain-Controller Communication Recording from Forced Landing Incident Also Released
Video Featuring Pratasevich's Statement Shows "Signs of Assault"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Amid ongoing international condemnation over the forced landing of a passenger plane by Belarusian authorities, European airlines have been successively suspending flights through Belarusian airspace. The aviation industry is expressing concerns that this will lead to longer flight times and increased fuel consumption, resulting in financial losses.
According to foreign media on the 25th (local time), European airlines are reportedly avoiding Belarusian airspace and flying through the airspace of neighboring Baltic countries such as Lithuania and Latvia.
Earlier, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko forcibly landed a Ryanair passenger plane traveling from Athens, Greece to Vilnius, Lithuania, on the 23rd, deploying fighter jets to compel the plane to land at Minsk Airport, the capital of Belarus, in order to arrest opposition activist Raman Pratasevich, who was on board. Belarus claimed that the emergency landing was due to a bomb threat reported on the plane.
However, international criticism intensified as Pratasevich was arrested immediately after landing at Minsk Airport, with accusations that Belarusian authorities hijacked the plane to detain him.
In response, European Union (EU) leaders held an emergency meeting on the 24th and decided to impose broad sanctions on Belarus, designating Belarusian airspace as a dangerous area and recommending that regional airlines suspend flights through Belarusian airspace.
So far, airlines that have decided to suspend flights through Belarusian airspace include Ireland's Ryanair, Finland's Finnair, France's Air France, the Netherlands' KLM, Germany's Lufthansa, the United Kingdom's British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Scandinavia's SAS, Poland's LOT, Latvia's AirBaltic, and the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Air Arabia.
Average Additional Flight Distance of 74km Due to Suspension of Belarusian Airspace Flights
With the suspension of flights through Belarusian airspace, which sees about 400 passenger planes daily, concerns are rising in the aviation industry about increased flight times and fuel consumption. According to Bloomberg News, passenger planes rerouting through the Baltic states' airspace instead of Belarusian airspace fly an average of about 74 kilometers longer.
As more airlines suspend flights through Belarusian airspace, it is expected that the Belarusian government’s revenue from airspace usage fees will significantly decrease. According to Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control organization, Belarus earned approximately 85 million euros (about 120 billion KRW) in airspace usage fees in 2019.
Release of Cockpit-Controller Communication Recording from Forced Landing Incident
Additionally, the Belarusian Ministry of Transport released the communication recording between the plane’s captain and air traffic controller on the day of the forced landing, the 25th. According to the recording, the Minsk Airport control center controller informed the captain around 12:30 PM (local time) on the 23rd that there was information about an explosive device on board and recommended an emergency landing at Minsk Airport instead of the destination, Lithuania.
The captain asked, "Where did this notification (about the bomb) come from? Where did you receive this information?" and further inquired, "Who recommended returning to Minsk? The airline, the departure airport management, or the destination airport management?" The controller then informed that the terror alert level was at the highest red level, but the captain initially responded that he would continue flying to the original destination, Lithuania. However, within two minutes, the captain reconnected with the controller, reporting an emergency and stating that he would return to Minsk, adding, "There are 133 people on board, and there is no dangerous cargo." The recording does not specify what kind of emergency occurred.
Video Featuring Arrested Pratasevich’s Statements Released... "Signs of Assault"
Meanwhile, suspicions have been raised that the video of Pratasevich’s statements released on the 24th was filmed under coercion by authorities. In the video, Pratasevich says, "I am in Minsk Detention Center No. 1. I have no health problems. The attitude of the prison staff is as proper and lawful as possible." He also admits to the charges of leading illegal protests that the authorities have applied to him.
However, there are strong indications that Pratasevich was pressured into making the video. Lithuania’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mantas Adomenas stated that Pratasevich’s mother claimed her son’s testimony was forced. The deputy minister also asserted, "It appears that Pratasevich was tortured," adding, "(According to his mother) his voice is completely different, his manner of speaking is different, and his condition is not normal." Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski also told his country’s radio broadcast that "signs of violence can be seen in the video," suggesting that Pratasevich was assaulted.
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