The UK has suspended all flights over Belarus, and suspended its national airline Belavia's license to fly to Britain, after the regime "hijacked" a Ryanair flight to arrest a journalist.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced the drastic action in Parliament as he accused the country of a "serious violation of international law".
Ryanair flight FR4978 from Greece to Lithuania changed course for Minsk last night after a Belarusian MIG fighter was scrambled to a supposed bomb scare.
More than 100 passengers were forced to land in Belarus against their will - and the action led to the arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich, on what Mr Raab called "spurious" charges by the regime led by Alexander Lukashenko.
Mr Raab said Belarus had made a "calculated and cynical ploy" using a "hoax bomb alert" - and did not rule out further action to tackle its actions through the Nord Stream pipeline.
Belarus' Ambassador to the UK was today summoned for Britain to convey its "condemnation" of the incident.
And vowing action, Mr Raab told Parliament: "The scenario as reported is a shocking assault on civil aviation and an assault on international law.
"It represents a danger to civilian flights everywhere and it is an egregious and extraordinary departure from the international law and international practice that guides international civil aviation under the Chicago convention."
Mr Raab said the bomb threat appeared to have been non-existent. He told Parliament: “The Belarusian authorities claimed this was in relation to an alleged bomb threat. We’ve seen no evidence to support that claim.
"What we have seen is that Belarus scrambled a MIG fighter, forced the plane to divert to Minsk, then used this emergency landing as an opportunity to arrest a prominent journalist.”
He added: "The regime in Minsk must provide a full explanation for what seems to be a serious violation of international law.
"Mr Lukashenko’s regime must be held to account for such reckless and dangerous behaviour."
Mr Raab said he was working with allies on a coordinated response, stating that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko must be held to account for his "outlandish" conduct.
The circumstances which led to the arrest of Roman Protasevich have been described as a hijacking operation by Mr Lukashenko's government.
Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said the attack by Belarus' "tyrannous regime" was "the first time we've seen air piracy in Europe for many many years.
"This attack was a hijacking that turned into a kidnapping and now is a serious violation of human rights."
He warned it could hurt not just political prisoners but anyone flying on holiday anywhere in the world.
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran pointed the finger at Moscow for Belarus' behaviour. She said: "They act with impunity because they know Russia has their back."
Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy warned the UK must stop being a "soft touch for corrupt elites".
She told Parliament: "In the space of 12 months, the Lukashenko regime has stolen an election, employed brutal repression against its own people, and hijacked a civilian airliner.
"And yet there are fewer Belarusian entities sanctioned now than there were in 2012."
Mr Raab did not rule out further action, for instance over the pipeline, telling the Commons: “We will consider and consult with our partners and see what other action they are willing to take.”
Mr Raab added: "The UK condemns yesterday's actions by the Belarusian authorities, who arrested journalist Roman Protasevich on the basis of a ruse, having forced his flight to land in Minsk.
"Mr Lukashenko must be held to account for his outlandish actions.
"The UK calls for the immediate release of Mr Protasevich and other political prisoners held in Belarus.
"The UK is working with our allies on a coordinated response, including further sanctions."
A UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said: “Following the UK Government’s decision, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has suspended all foreign carrier permits held by Belarusian air carriers until further notice. This suspension applies to both scheduled operators, including the Belarusian airline Belavia, as well as chartered air carriers.
“The Civil Aviation Authority has also issued a notice to all UK registered airlines requesting that they avoid overflight of any territory of the Republic of Belarus”.
