Moldova, the western neighbor of Ukraine, announced closure of its airspace.
The decision was taken to “avoid putting at risk civilian flights”, according to a statement issued by Moldova’s government, issued around the noon of February 24, 2022.
All flights to Moldova’s capital Chisinau will be redirected to Iasi (IAS), a Romanian airport situated close to the Moldovan border.
Earlier in the day, Moldova’s government declared a state of emergency and announced that it was preparing to receive a large number of refugees fleeing Ukraine.
According to Moldovan media, the closure of the airspace was recommended by the country’s Supreme Security Council and came into force at 12:00 p.m. EET (10:00 GMT).
At the time of writing, multiple flight tracking services show Moldova’s airspace as being clear from civilian traffic, while numerous Chisinau-bound flights, scheduled to arrive during the second half of the day, have been cancelled.
In order to avoid putting at risk civilian flights, in the context of actions near the border, the Republic of Moldova 🇲🇩, through the Civil Aviation Authority, ordered the closure of the airspace. Flights to Chisinau will be redirected to Iasi.
— Government of Republic of Moldova (@GuvernulRMD) February 24, 2022