Is there a risk with flights stopping off in Russia?
Here is a thought experiment... Assume one wants to go from the EU to Japan. There will of course be different carriers (and paths) available to choose from, and usually there will be a stopover in the carrier's home country: If you go by, for example, Air China, the journey will likely be a 2-leg with stopover at PEK. Similarly, Aeroflot has a stop at DMO/SVO.
Now, visa-less transit at the airports is permitted provided there is a dedicated international transit area. Suppose that the flight gets, for whatever circumstances, redirected to an airport that has no such transit channel (inspired by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Russia#Direct_airside_transit ). That is likely not going to be a situation one wants to be in.
tl;dr; Is it something one should take into consideration that flight paths that do not include a stopover in a country that is generally not visa-free (for the particular person)?
Pictures about "Is there a risk with flights stopping off in Russia?"
Is it safe to fly in Russia?
Russia - AVOID ALL TRAVEL Avoid all travel to Russia due to the impacts of the armed conflict with Ukraine, including limited flight options and restrictions on financial transactions. If you are in Russia, you should leave now while commercial means are still available.Are flights operating to Russia?
International travel to the Russian Federation is permitted but limited flights are currently available. It is necessary to comply with requirements to ensure entry is allowed.Are airlines still flying over Russia?
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe has recently closed its airspace to Russian airlines, and Russia has reciprocated in kind, closing its airspace to European carriers.Is it safe to travel to Moscow now?
Latest update:Do not travel to Russia due to the security environment and military conflict with Ukraine. If you're in Russia, leave immediately using the limited commercial options available or private means if it's safe to do so.CBC News: The National | Europe extreme heat, Artificial heart transplant, Russia sanctions
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Anete Lusina, Anete Lusina, Elena Saharova, Ryutaro Tsukata