Meet the airline that has just been banned from European skies

The European Union has officially banned Turkish airline Southwind from its airspace, alleging the carrier is controlled from Russia.

The decision follows a recent move to ban the airline by Finnish authorities.

The EU accused the airline of being effectively controlled from Russia and using Turkey as a flag of convenience, travel website Travel Mole reported.

“Our overall assessment indicates that a significant portion of ownership and effective control  does not belong to Turkish individuals or companies,” the EU said in a statement.

Southwind Airlines was established with backing from Russian-based tour operator Pegas Touristik to operate flights to and from Russia.

Southwind has also been operating flights to Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Northern Macedonia, and Italy.

The EU and other Western countries have sanctioned Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, resulting in a full-scale war from February, 2022.

Southwind has a fleet of 12 aircraft.

The EU’s ban is effective immediately.