From reports citing a source in Sheremetevo airport air traffic control in Moscow, Aeroflot flight SU150 has left Moscow at 14:04 local time (11:04 GMT) and is set to fly through US airspace a just a few miles from the coast of New York City and on its way to Havana, Cuba. Snowden has checked in for the flight and there are two seats under his name (17A and 17C), reports the Associated Press.
Aeroflot flight SU150 was bording, but no one actually saw Edward Snowden. However, Russia Today’s Egor Piskunov reports that Snowden is now not on the plane.
UPDATE: Here’s a photo of the empty seat where he was supposed to be:
Двери закрыли, трап отодвинули #Сноудэн -а нет на борту!!! They've just locked the doors of the plane, #Snowden is NOT on this plane!!!
— Egor Piskunov (@episkunov_RT) June 24, 2013
Egor Piskunov says that sources report American air traffic control can legally ground the plane and take Snowden into custody on charges of espionage, theft and conversion of government property. But, the pilot may change the course of Aeroflot flight SU150 so as not to pass through American airspace.
“The pilot of the plane is within his rights to change the course of the flight and there should be enough fuel to do so,” said the source to Interfax as reported by Egor Piskunov for Russia Today, which has been all over this story.
Piskunov says that Edward Snowden may have spent Sunday night at Terminal F at Moscow’s Sheremetevo airport because he does not have a valid Russian visa. Remember, the USA put a freeze on his passport. The Ecuadorian ambassador had paid a visit to Terminal F on Sunday, and using the afformentioned BMW.
Piskunov was to be flying out to Havana on the same flight as Snowden. He says via Twitter that Snowden is not on the plane.
Stay tuned.