The next flight to the capital Kiev is scheduled for tonight, but will not be operated. “This decision follows the adjusted travel advice to code red and an extensive safety analysis. It is not yet clear when KLM will fly to Kiev again,” said KLM.
Has this decision taken into account the events surrounding MH17? “Choosing safe and optimal routes is a permanent part of our daily practice,” says spokesman Marjan Rozemeijer. “KLM monitors and assesses the situation in Ukraine on a daily basis. We have not been flying over the eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea since 2014. It was also recently decided not to let our crew stay overnight in Kiev, but to fly back immediately.”
Necessary Travel
Tensions on Ukraine’s border with Russia have been mounting for months. The Dutch were advised on Saturday to leave Ukraine as soon as possible. The Dutch ambassador in Kiev, Jennes de Mol, previously warned that the Netherlands will not evacuate people from Ukraine if the conflict escalates. Most of the staff of the Dutch embassy in the capital Kiev will also leave the country.
Other countries are also calling on their citizens to leave Ukraine. The United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium, among others, are letting their citizens know that they should leave the country quickly.
The US government fears that the Russians will soon invade. More than 120,000 Russian soldiers and a lot of equipment have gathered at the border with Ukraine. There are also Russian soldiers in Belarus. US President Biden and Russian President Putin will meet by telephone later Saturday about rising tensions.
Western countries threaten Russia with heavy sanctions if Moscow were to invade. Several countries have already pledged military aid to the government in Kiev. The Netherlands is looking at what kind of arms aid it can provide.
The travel advice for Ukraine has turned red. Until Saturday, most of it was orange. That meant traveling there only when absolutely necessary. It is unclear how many Dutch people are in Ukraine. Dutch citizens are not obliged to register with the embassy.