MOSCOW, July 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Some Russian air carriers continue flights in the safe zone of Ukraine’s air space - above Western Ukraine.

Ural Airlines told ITAR-TASS the company considered replacing transit flights with flights bypassing Ukraine, but “it is not such a swift decision”. S7 conducted some flights bypassing the country last week, but transit has been resumed in the safe air space in Western Ukraine open to civil aviation.

According to the flight tracker Flightradar24, as of 01:00am Moscow time, transit through Ukraine to the Russian cities are also carried out by the Russian Kogalymavia (MetroJet brand) as well as the Greek Aegean Airlines, Montenegro Airlines and Israeli El Al.

After Boeing-777-200 had crashed in the Donetsk Region, Rosaviation agency reported Russian air carriers stopped transit flights above Ukraine at the time of military actions.

The routes are laid through Russia with further flying into air space of other border countries that ensure safe flight through their territory, said Rosaviation; transit flights can only be renewed after unconditional flight safety is guaranteed in Ukraine’s air space.

The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) has closed the Ukrainian air space for civilian airplanes.  

US air companies decided to cancel voluntarily flights in the air space near the Russian-Ukrainian border. US Federal Aviation Administration stated about this decision after consultations with air carriers in the country. Chinese Civil Aviation Administration instructed Chinese airplanes to avoid flights over the dangerous zone, Aeroflot has changed its flight schedule, cancelling several flights to Ukrainian cities of Kiev and Odessa. Malaysia Airlines, Vietnamese domestic air carrier and Dutch airline KLM will also make flights on alternative routes. 

Following the mysterious crash of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 in the very east of Ukraine on Thursday, Germany’s flag carrying airline Lufthansa has taken a decision to divert all of its flights from Ukrainian airspace.

At the same time, Russia’s number two airline, Transaero, said in an official statement its flights to third countries would be performed bypassing Ukrainian territory.