In 1982, the United States banned Aeroflot Russian Airlines from serving the United States. 4o years later, will we see a similar move?
Will We See A New United States Ban Against Aeroflot Russian Airlines?
In 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that LOT Polish Airlines and Aeroflot would be banned from serving the USA, citing the Soviet-led crackdown against the Polish trade union movement (Solidarity). The LOT ban took effect in late 1981 while the Aeroflot ban took effect in early January 1982.
At the time, Aeroflot was world’s largest airline, with a worldwide network and bases in many Soviet Socialist Republics. At one point, Aeroflot had over 10,000 aircraft in its fleet, primarily for domestic transport within the USSR.
For two years, Aeroflot ticket offices remained open in Washington, DC and New York, selling Aeroflot tickets via Canada.
But after the Soviet downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983, Reagan ordered that the ticket offices be closed and directed the Civil Aeronautics Board to add additional restrictions, including:
- Suspending Aeroflot’s right to sell tickets in the USA
- Prohibiting U.S. airlines from selling tickets in the United States for transportation on Aeroflot
- Precluding U.S. airlines from carrying traffic to, from, or within the United States where an Aeroflot flight is on the ticket
- Directing U.S. airlines to suspend any interline service arrangements with Aeroflot (baggage transfers)
- Prohibiting U.S. airlines from accepting any tickets issued by Aeroflot for air travel to, from or within the United States
Aeroflot continued to offer IL-86 service from Moscow – Shannon – Gander – Havana, which strained U.S. relations with both Ireland and Canada (under a different Trudeau).
The U.S. ban was not lifted until 1990.
Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would recognize two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent nations. Russian troops have now been sent in for “peacekeeping” reasons, confirming the fears of western voices that have been warning of an imminent Russian invasion for two weeks.
Could the U.S. respond by banning Aeroflot from the United States? It’s not unprecedented.
CONCLUSION
As the world waits to see if Russia will move westward in its invasion of Ukraine, the West has many tools at its disposal to disincentive such aggression. Germany has already responded by suspending the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline linking Russia and Europe. Might the U.S. and European powers also respond by banning Aeroflot? The coming days will be interesting.
We should.
No the US shouldn’t because the fallout would impact the US more than it would impact Aeroflot. Even with pandemic and international travel restrictions there are still a large number of US passenger and cargo jets that need to use Russian airspace to get destinations all over the world.
If the US were to ban Aeroflot, Russia would retaliate by simply banning all US passenger and cargo jets from traversing through Russian airspace resulting in either massive cancelations or flights would have fly sub-optimal routes that would require more fuel and increase flight times
There’s really not though, and the ones that do can be redirected easily, especially in these times.
It’s mostly European and Asian airlines that need to overfly Russia, fyi.
I hope to god your right my good sir. My girlfriend is set to get on a plane on next Saturday with Aeroflot to come to LA to see me for a week and if we banned Aeroflot I am really going to be so mad.
I want to go out of my way to support the Russian economy and Putin. They are doing the right thing taking back the Ukraine territory.
Why do you say that?
Why does he say that? Because Putin’s regime has an army of professional trolls and instigators whose job it is to peddle his propaganda into western discourse. It seems your blog isn’t immune.
They’re not “taking back” territory. They are TAKING. IT.
Taking back? lol unless this is the Soviet Union, there is no precedence to “take it back”
So tell me, is this a Soviet operation?
I’m amazed the Russian trolls have reached LALF.
My American son is on SU 102 as I write this. I was praying they’d get back in. I assume many Americans need to get out. Banning Aeroflot might not be best thing just yet!
We currently have the weakest president in the history of this country. Weaker than Carter. It is not a surprise that Russia is making the move in Ukraine right now. Putin knows our president will hide in his basement. Look at history. Since the end of the Soviet Union, we had strong presidents. Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, Trump. Russia was kept in their corner. Although he was respected, the weakest was Obama that did nothing when Russia took Crimea. But at least he was respected. Putin kept quiet under Trump since he did not have the balls to face him. And then we got President B______. Putin knew it was his time to do whatever he wanted. All our current president cares is that all Russian soldier are wearing a mask and show proof of vaccination before crossing the boarder with Ukraine. What a disgrace!!!!!!
Putin’s emboldened because of your Lord Trump and your fellow worshippers of your Lord Trump.
Trump’s buddy Putin knows the US is divided easily by his dirty games, and he has had growing success continuing to run the typical KGB-era games but on a bigger, more technologically advanced playing field than used to be the case.
It’s the US’s and world’s divisions that Putin is masterfully exploiting, so blaming this situation on Biden is just a stupid joke. Or are you really itching for a hot war against a nuclear-armed opponent?
The US and other liberal representative democracies should prepare to shut off the oversized Russian gas station and gas station users from the world markets. If Putin wants to try to live off China and a bevy of other (increasingly) anti-democratic regimes, let him pay the price for that along with his kiss-up partners leeching around the globe.
Trump is no longer the president. Good try!!!
I see that you forgot how Trump looked when they first met in Helsinki. Trump looked like he saw a ghost and was uncharacteristically quite. I think Putin had something on Trump. His attitude towards China was far different than it was towards Russia.
Dude, forget about Trump. Yes, he damaged the brains of many liberals like you. Did you see the list of strong presidents that I listed? Many were Democrats. We simply have the wimpiest of all running the country now. As long as the Russian soldier show proof of vaccination he couldn’t care less what they do to Ukraine. he cannot control our own boarders what to say about Ukraine.
Biden is a weak coward. Everyone knowns it. The Taliban knew it when they took back Afghanistan in record time, Russia knows it and china knows it.
Wow. Really did not expect to find such a moronic comment from such a Trump ass licker on a travel blog.
Idiot, haven’t you witnessed how Trump appeared so weak in front of Putin when they met in Helsinki?
James, continue your job of washing Brandon’s balls. You are doing it right.
Did you happen to notice (and conveniently ignore) that your morbidly obese illiterate cult leader “Cheetolini” called Putin a “GENIUS” today, while the Republicans in Congress are all saying that Biden isn’t being tough enough on him.
What a pathetic bunch of lazy clowns. THIS is why people are laughing at you and not buying your gaslighting and mock outrage about “wimpy” Presidents.
Hey ball washer!!! You have to go to school. School of life. Of course he said Putin was a genius. He is a genius to explore the weakness of this clown sitting in DC. Yes, in the school Biden was a freshman, Putin was the Dean.
Your juvenile gaslighting is hilarious. The Republicans in Congress are not coming out to say that Trump is right in calling him a genius, but instead saying that Biden is not being tough enough on him. Divergent views and the weak and lazy people like you just continue to ignore that, but would rather just lob lame insults at Biden. Our allies are UNITED, but the Republican Party is in disarray. What morons.
Is this comment up to the community standards of this blog?
Russia invaded Georgia, another sovereign state, under the George W Bush Administration with basically no repercussions. Since Russia emerged from the late 1990s economic crisis, nobody has been particularly tough on them.
Georgia is an independent country and not part of Russia.
Exactly. What did you think I meant by “sovereign state?”
Russia didn’t take it over like they did with Crimea and want to do with Ukraine. Georgia is STILL independent.
Right. They invaded Georgia in order to force the Georgian military out of two portions of Georgian territory generally referred to as Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Internationally they are recognized as part of Georgia, but they’re nominally self-governing and Russia recognizes their independence, but nobody else does. Exactly what is happening in Ukraine now.
Russia invaded Georgian territory in order to push their military out of Abkhazia and S. Ossetia and install pro-moscow governments that aren’t recognized by anybody other than Russia. It’s literally the exact thing occuring right now in Ukraine.
Sorry. Unintentional double (now triple) comment
Putin had your boy Trump IN his basement. It will be interesting to see what his finances finally reveal.
My boy? I couldn’t care less about Trump. I just said that among all US presidents since the fall of the Soviet Union the current one is the weaker. A total disgrace that all US enemies are taking advantage of. The wimpy grandpa!!!!
Wondering why this ass licker Santastico keeps coming to this blog spitting left and right Fox News nonsense.
Dude this is a travel blog, you can join Parlier or Truth Social to find the echo chamber you are desperately looking for.
I have always found it funny to see non native American trying so hard to impress Trump worshippers. When your back is turned, they have zero esteem for you and your desperate efforts. You have zero authority to discuss world affairs
Spare us world travellers from seing your dumb comments
Have you washed Brandon’s balls today?
Trump is complimenting Putin for the Ukraine invasion and calling him savvy. Trump would be doing far less than Biden and our allies (who Trump alienated).
The latest news about credit suisse helping people launder money. You would think the US government would be sanctioning the swiss too.
Ukraine is just a pretext for the US to sell arms. They dont care about Ukraine. Frankly why should US care about Europe. Let them learn russian. Maybe it’s about sending a message to china about Taiwan.
Politicians won’t sanction the swiss banks or the swiss govt. because they would like to launder money themselves.
All bloody posing by hypocrites.
That will show those rascals!
People declaring independence is how this country was formed. The U.S. government recognized soviet satellite countries who declared independence in the early 90s. It did the same when Kosovo broke away and declared independence in the 2000s. However, the globalist controlled U.S. government opposes independence and freedom when that independence and freedom doesn’t align with its interests.
We should celebrate these 2 regions that are mostly ethnic Russian declaring independence. They don’t consent to be governed by the Ukrainians and they want self determination and self rule which is a human right and the hallmark of freedom. These ethnic Russian regions want Russian assistance and we shouldn’t fault Russia for it. Similarly, 140 million want the same in the U.S. If you don’t consent to a system, don’t support it, and don’t want it, being forced to is a form of slavery. Let’s remember it was the Soviets who shot people fleeing East Germany and shot and tortured people who wanted independence from Soviet rule in countries like Poland and Estonia. It works both ways. If a heavy majority of people in a region want independence, to prevent them is modern day slavery.
I would caution you to not equate a soviet totalitarian state with a democratic republic.
In a purely amoral sense, I agree with you, but I also cannot deny the evil that is the Kremlin.
Not only this, the US and EU should ban all air traffic to or from Russia, and suspend all first freedom rights for Russian carriers.
If they were banned from BOTH the EU and U.S. it would certainly be a major blow to Aeroflot as it probably accounts for 70% of its international traffic. Of course though Putin will make sure he injects more cash in them to keep them afloat.
An even bolder step is to do like we have with Iran. Not only ban them, but ban any aircraft parts or planes from being sold to Russia. Given Aeroflot’s large Airbus and Boeing fleet this would cripple them in a matter of months without the ability to find parts on the open market. Of course, like Iran, they will scrounge the black markets where they can – but it still makes for a lot of difficulties. Would also have an effect on the smaller carriers there as well that rely on western aircraft.
Putin needs to see how reliant he is on the rest of the world and that ignoring the repercussions of a global economy will in essence cripple his country and turn back all the economic gains and prosperity many of the Russians today enjoy.
Biden and the EU don’t have the balls to do this.
But if they did, it would be hilarious. Fire up the Tupolevs, lol!
Yes, we will see how the growing upper class in Russia feels flying Tupelovs to Sochi instead of an Airbus to Bodrum. The women especially will be horrified to learn of no more duty free Prada and Gucci.
The response would probably be closure of Russian airspace to American carriers.
Is the USA willing to deal with it? Russia is huge, and many flights overly it.
We should expect cheaper sanctions.
It would primarily effect flights to Japan and China from Europe (Neither of which are even open to travelers). As well U.S. flights to India. Other than that not much. A smallish price to pay right now if it meant crippling Russia’s ability to fly passengers and cargo to many of its main market suppliers.
East coast to anywhere from India to Hong Kong overflies Russia.
Admittedly, in the pandemic it’s not much.
I said this in my comment. But it’s what, a couple of flights a day (not including Air India).
IIRC, most of our TPAC flights are the ones that fly above Russian airspace, and at least commercially, most of those are dead. But it will somewhat hurt cargo (given that sadly we still import a lot of stuff from China)
Why not also require flights operating to and from USA to avoid Russian airspace thereby depriving Russia of fees collected from overflights. I wonder how much revenue would be lost.
After the Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine, many airlines diverted flights into…Russian airspace.
Even more than that, the US, Canada, EU, other NATO countries, etc. should revoke first freedom overflight rights for all Russian-registered aircraft, and prohibit transit of all aircraft between US/EU and Russian airspace.
I view this crisis as what will potentially be an unnecessary loss of life for what is nothing more than political gain. Putin doesn’t actually care about marginalized people in post-Soviet states. If he did, Russia wouldn’t remain silent on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The difference is that NKR isn’t trying to be a Russian satellite state like Transnistria, S Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea and now Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukraine is the only post Soviet state that really poses as a legitimate counter to Russia on the international stage, so incursions in to territory inhabited by ethnic Russians plays really well for Putin back home and his reign can continue unchecked.
As the inevitable loss of life benefits nobody, neither would blocking Aeroflot from flying to the USA. Financially it doesn’t matter because profitability isn’t really relevant for Aeroflot. The US would be making a “statement” that might play well to the US public, but the only people it would actually harm are Russian visitors, and our Russian-American neighbors who actually have ties to both countries who would now have another hurdle to overcome to travel for legitimate reasons. This move, one might say, is very Putin-esque.
Matthew: I think it should be eastern Ukraine rather than western Ukraine in your sentence “Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced…”
Correct! Thank you.
Putin has his own Il-96 jet and doesn’t use Aeroflot. Banning Aeroflot just hurts traveling people.
Instead, sanctions and also sending troops to Taiwan for an exercise to show force and commitment to Taiwan would be a good idea.
Personally, I agree – I’m also against the blacklisting of Belavia.
In your dreams our beloved president will do that. He doesn’t have the balls.
How about we sink all of the yachts owned by Russian oligarchs and also confiscate all the dwellings owned by the same oligarchs in foreign countries. Also require that all fuel purchased by Russian airlines be paid for in cash upon delivery.
Matthew, I am curious as to your thoughts on another Russia-based company that flies alot of over-sized and heavy cargo in its fleet of planes throughout much of the world: Volga-Dnepr. To my knowledge, there is no one else who has similar aircraft with such lift capabilities.
It’s an interesting question, especially if their assets are frozen in Houston.
Man the uber political comments in here are pure gold.
I’m on Russia’s side on this one…so long as Russia does not attack Israel. If Russia attacks Israel…read the Bible…Ezekiel 38-39 to see what happens.
After the Iron Curtain fell and the Warsaw Pact disbanded I believe that NATO should have disbanded at the same time. There was an understanding that NATO would not expand east but that is exactly what happened and previous Russian leadership was unwilling and/or unable to do anything about it.
From a historical perspective, the only time the Russians fight well is when they are backed into a corner, like when attacked by Napoleon and Hitler. It is a historical and geographical fact that the Ukraine, such as exists today, is in Russia’s part of the world for better or for worse.
Russia feels boxed in with the eastward expansion of NATO. In refusing to give Russia security guarantees and guarantee to forego any further eastward expansion, NATO is in effect poking the Russian Bear. That is very dangerous. If war does erupt I lay the blame at Biden and I will not support any effort by the Biden “Administration” to go to war against Russia.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Putin was to liberate America from the Biden regime?
Not sure why ordinary Russians should worry about nato or Europe. It seems to be working fine for all eastern European countries who want to look west. This all about the oligarchs trying to keep power, which they will lose in a true democracy.
They are not as skilled in maintaining oligarchy under a democracy as the politicians in the US are, who have considerable more experience.
Unfortunately we see everyday people following orders like lemmings when they have nothing to gain from following the orders. And anyone rebelling gets their head chopped by the same lemmings. Stockholm syndrome in mass delusion.
One question I wonder about is whether the Russians will close their airspace as they did during the Cold War. This would result in a massive detour for European air traffic to Asia and a boost in service around the North Pole which Russia also now claims, and also refuelling stops in Anchorage.
If you really want to hurt Aeroflot, you’d tell Boeing and Airbus to suspend service contracts and parts deliveries. Let’s not forget Aeroflot’s main and subsidiary airlines are quite reliant on western-made aircraft. None of their long-range aircraft are Russian anymore, at least the ones that aren’t reserved for government service.
China would help with the maintenance checks, but I doubt they would be able to reverse-engineer and copy spare parts in a hurry.
In 1956, the Russians invaded Hungary when Ike was President, and in 1968, they invaded Czechoslovakia, when LBJ was President. Neither of them were weak leaders.
Let’s go Brandon
fJb baby
Biden is a weak joke
Trump back in 2024
Liberals are human scum
The Russian airships can go f themselves