Aviation giant guards against political impact

British Airways owner IAG is not forecasting a material impact from what it called “recent geopolitical developments”, as Ukrainian airspace was closed.

Without identifying it by name, the airline said it is “monitoring” the situation, which has led to a Notice to Airmen warning across Ukraine and parts of Russia.

The notice tells pilots to avoid the area and route around the country.

It may not be a major inconvenience for the airline, but on Thursday the UK announced that it was banning Russian planes from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion.

If Russia decides to do the same to BA and other British airlines, that could require companies to reroute planes that fly over the giant country to get to Asia.

“We are... monitoring recent geopolitical events closely to manage any potential impact,” said chief executive Luis Gallego.