Manchester United have ended their lucrative sponsorship deal with airline Aeroflot following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Aeroflot had served as the “official carrier” of Manchester United since replacing Turkish Airlines in 2013, with the team regularly flying with Russia’s largest airline to European away matches.
The latest commercial deal - reported to be worth £40million - was due to expire in 2023, with calls for the Premier League giants to sever ties following Russian military escalation in Ukraine that culminated in a full-scale invasion of the country that began on Thursday.
United’s players did not fly with Aeroflot to Madrid for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg tie against Atletico and a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the agreement had now been terminated.
“In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights.
“We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected.”
Aeroflot was banned from flying to the United Kingdom on Thursday, with the UK Civil Aviation Authority suspending their foreign carrier permit as part of sanctions against Russia announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson following the invasion of Ukraine.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he had signed restrictions prohibiting all scheduled Russian airlines from entering British airspace.
Russia has since retaliated by banning UK flights to and over Russia from Friday.
