The Council of the European Union adopted a 16th package of sanctions against Russia on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, tightening already existing restrictions against the Russian aviation industry and adding new bans on dealings with selected airports. Simultaneously, the United Kingdom added new entities and individuals to its sanctions list.

Among the measures adopted on February 24, 2024, the member states of the EU agreed to prohibit any airline operating domestic flights within Russia from flying to, from, or over the European Union. So far, this ban only applied to Russian air carriers but has now been extended to cover all operators. Russia recently signalled its willingness to open the domestic market to foreign airlines to offset sanctions-caused aircraft shortages in the country.

The amended Council decision 2014/512/CFSP also sanctions all international companies that provide aircraft or other sanctioned goods to airlines operating domestic flights in Russia.

Meanwhile, Council Regulation (EU) 2025/395 designates six airports - Moscow Vnukovo, Zhukovsky, Perm Bolshoye Savino, Ekaterinburg, Nizhnekamsk, and Pskov - due to their allegedly outsized role as military bases and staging points for the transfer of weapons and military vehicles. This means that EU-based companies will not be able to enter into any transactions with the operators of these six airports. Until now, airport operators were not designated by the EU.

EU ministers also added Vadim Badekha, CEO of UAC United Aircraft Corporation, to their list of designated individuals. It is the first time the head of Russia's state-owned aircraft manufacturing holding was sanctioned.

In turn, the UK government added S7 Airlines and its founder Vladislav Filev to its own list of sanctions. The airline has thus far not been under specific sanctions anywhere outside Ukraine, although it is covered by the EU's industry-wide designation. The United States Office of Foreign Affairs Control (OFAC) previously designated S7's MRO subsidiary, S7 Technics.

Australia and New Zealand also imposed their own sanctions, but these did not include any aviation industry companies or executives.