PARIS, May 24 (Reuters) - Latvian airline airBaltic said on Monday it was avoiding Belarus airspace in the wake of the forced landing of a Ryanair jet bound for fellow Baltic state Lithuania on Sunday.

"Yesterday when mixed information was received about the diverted commercial flight to Minsk, as an immediate action, airBaltic decided to avoid entering Belarus airspace until the situation becomes clearer or a decision is issued by the authorities," a spokeswoman said by email.

"The safety and health of our passengers and employees is the main priority for the airline. Currently airBaltic is continuing to closely monitor the situation," she added. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Jason Neely)