EU in talks with US on possibly expanding airspace ban for Russian carriers

European Union officials are speaking with their United States counterparts about extending the current airspace bans imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, a senior EU official said on Tuesday. Airlines are bracing for potentially lengthy blockages of key east-west flight corridors after the European Union and Moscow issued tit-for-tat airspace bans. Washington has not ruled out similar action in response to what Russian President Vladimir Putin has called "a special military operation." "Yes, there are discussions with the US on what measures they will adopt," the official told reporters, adding that it was too early to assess the impact of the bloc's airspace ban. Global supply chains, already hit hard by the pandemic, face increasing disruption and cost pressure by the closure of the skies which will affect over a fifth of air freight. Hardest hit are likely to be Russian carriers, which make up approximately 70% of the flights between Russia and the EU, the official said.<br/>