Travel software firm Sabre removes Russia’s Aeroflot from global marketplace

Travel software company Sabre Corp. terminated its distribution agreement with Aeroflot on Thursday, further isolating the Russian state-owned airline from the rest of the world following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Sabre will cut Aeroflot off from its global marketplace, which is widely used by travel agencies and third-party travel websites to book flights. The move will severely limit the Russian airline’s ability to sell tickets online. 

“Sabre has been monitoring the evolving situation in Ukraine with increasing concern,” Sabre CEO Sean Menke said in a statement. “We are taking a stand against this military conflict. We are complying, and will continue to comply, with sanctions imposed against Russia.”

Aeroflot finds itself in a precarious position after the U.S., Canada and most European nations banned the airline from entering their airspace. While other popular vacation destinations in countries like the Dominican Republic or Mexico are still open to travel, getting there will be far more difficult without being able to fly over dozens of nations.

President Biden announced the Aeroflot ban during his State of the Union address Tuesday, stating that the move was “adding an additional squeeze” on the Russian economy, which has been hit hard by Western sanctions in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. 

“The Russian economy is reeling, and Putin alone is the one to blame,” Biden said.

Last week, Delta Air Lines ended its codeshare agreement with Aeroflot that allowed travelers to book seats on each other’s flights. Boeing and other American aerospace companies are also cutting ties with the airline.