Japan Airlines will cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday, citing concerns about the situation in Ukraine and following a similar move by bigger rival ANA Holdings.
“We are continuously monitoring the situation, but given the present situation in Ukraine and the different risks, we have decided to cancel flights,” a JAL spokesperson said.
The move comes after ANA said it would halt all of its European flights on Thursday, citing concerns about safety.
Both airlines have previously said they were considering routes that avoid Russia, given that security worries sparked by the invasion of Ukraine.
Airlines around the world have suspended flights in Russian airspace, while European nations, Canada and the United States have banned Russian aircraft from their airspace, in a bid to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine invasion.
- Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
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