Manchester United stated on Friday they had dismissed their sponsorship agreement with Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot following President Vladimir Putin’s seizure of Ukraine.
The British government on Thursday urged a biting package of sanctions on Moscow, which comprised banning Russian carriers from UK airspace.
Premier League club Man Utd declared Aeroflot as their “official carrier” in 2013 and have consistently flown to European games on the company’s planes. The latest deal was due to run till 2023.
However the club, who used charter airline Titan Airways for their Champions League last-16 away leg versus Atletico Madrid earlier this week, declared that they had diverged ties with the airline.
“In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights,” United stated in a statement.
“We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected.”
The Manchester United website had expressed Aeroflot as providing ‘strategic advice’ on travel arrangements but a link to the concerned page no longer worked on Friday.
The Aeroflot website still listed Red Devils on its list of partners.
Moscow on Friday prohibited all UK-linked planes, counting transiting flights, from its airspace, voicing the decision was taken ‘as a response to unfriendly decisions of the UK aviation authorities.’
