FAA bans U.S. flights over eastern Ukraine

The aftermath of the Malaysia Air crash. (Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice on Thursday night prohibiting any U.S. flight operations in the airspace over eastern Ukraine until further notice.

This restriction, which was issued in response to the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet, expands an earlier FAA order prohibiting U.S. flights from operating over certain areas in Ukraine. That prohibition was issued in April and said U.S. flights could not operate in the airspace over the Crimean region and near the Black Sea “due to the continuing potential for instability.”

The April notice did not cover the airspace where the Malaysia Air flight was shot down.

Head to our liveblog for the latest updates on the crash.