European Union to ban Belarus overflights from midnight, diplomats say

European Union would ban Belarus airlines from flying over EU territory or landing in EU airports from Friday midnight, three diplomats have said.

European Union ambassadors on Friday adopted a plan to ban Belarus airlines from flying over EU territory or landing in EU airports, three diplomats said. The decision is part of broader economic sanctions against Belarus in response to Minsk's scrambling a warplane to force the landing of a Ryanair flight carrying an opposition journalist last month. The decision is due to take effect at midnight Central European Time (CET), barring any last-minute objections by EU states before a self-imposed deadline of 1400 CET, which are not expected, the diplomats said.