Sen. Rubio asks U.S. FAA to review safety of Russia airlines

Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday asked the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a safety review of Russian airlines and alert Americans to the risks of Russian-administered aircraft continuing to operate in international airspace.

Sanctions imposed by Europe, the United States and others have denied Russia access to new planes, spare parts and maintenance services and forced Russia's aviation industry to cut back on flights.

"So long as Russian airlines maintain such operations, they pose a potential threat to international travelers, as well as to Russians flying domestically," Rubio wrote.