The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) has announced that the airspace of Russia and Ukraine will remain closed for flights to Europe until 2029. Western airlines currently require special permission to fly through Russian airspace. American airlines have called on Congress and the White House to ban foreign competitors from flying through Russian airspace. Losing the ability to fly over Russia has caused airlines from the United States to significantly change their schedules and postpone the launch of planned routes, resulting in losses. Many Western countries closed their airspace to Russian aircraft after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, and in response, Russia banned flights over its territory to airlines from 36 countries, including the EU and Canada.