Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has far-reaching consequences for Russian air travel. But are private jets really affected? A new Twitter channel knows the answer.

Many European countries have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft. Outside of Europe, Canada also joined these restrictions. Canadian airspace is considered very important due to its size.

The bans apply to all aircraft registered in Russia and under Russian control. Thus, not only military aircraft and civil aviation are affected, but also private jets.

Oligarchs still in the air

The private jet is a popular mode of transportation for people who don’t have to spend every penny. The US student Jack Sweeney is now tracking all the planes of the Russian oligarchs he knows.

Sweeney spotted the private jet of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who announced his retirement from football just a few days ago, in the Latvian capital Riga. 

Sweeney shares his findings on his Twitter account RUOligarchJets.

Alexander Abramov’s jet just landed in Munich, Germany. Abramov is an industrial magnate and one of the two heads of Evraz, Russia’s largest steel producer.

Many oligarchs don’t fly on Russian planes

But how is it possible that many oligarchs can still move freely in European airspace despite the sanctions? The answer is simple: they fly machines that are not registered in Russia. Rotenberg’s twin-engine Bombardier Global, for example, flies the flag of the Isle of Man, which is subject to the British Crown. Abramovich flies with a Luxembourg aircraft identification.