Moldova will close its airspace to civilian aircraft on June 1 for safety reasons while hosting a summit of European leaders, its civil aviation authority said on Thursday. Moldova expects up to 47 heads of state, government, and European Union institutions to attend the summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which brings together EU member states and 17 other European countries. "To ensure aviation security, flights of all civil aircraft will be prohibited over the entire airspace of the Republic of Moldova," the civil aviation authority said.
It said Moldovan airspace would be closed all of June 1 and reopen at 7.00 a.m. local time on the morning of June 2. Only flights by official planes will be allowed, it said. A ban on drones will last longer, starting on May 31. Moldova, which is wedged between Ukraine and Romania, has been buffeted by Russia's war in Ukraine which President Maia Sandu has repeatedly denounced. Parts of missiles fired during the Ukraine conflict have landed in Moldova.