Escalating Drone Strikes Cause Major Travel Chaos at Moscow Airports

Ukrainian drone strikes led to yet another round of flight disruptions at airports in Moscow over the weekend, with Russian media reporting that more than 1,000 flights were either delayed or canceled.

The airports of Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky experienced significant operational halts as Russian air defense systems intercepted numerous drones targeting the capital from July 19 to 21.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 18 drones were downed on July 19, 26 on July 20, and another 23 on July 21.

Flight services were intermittently paused due to airspace closures, with Sheremetyevo alone canceling over 170 flights and causing delays to hundreds more on Monday, as reported by RBC news. Vnukovo and Domodedovo also experienced considerable disruptions.

This incident marks the fourth interruption to Moscow’s air travel since early May, coinciding with the start of the peak tourist season.

Data indicates that the total time airports have been closed over the last three months has surpassed 24 hours at each major airport in the city, with Domodedovo facing over 60 hours of operational downtime.

Since early May, airlines have scrapped around 1,000 flights, with 430 planes redirected to other airports. Approximately 200,000 passengers, or about one in ten air travelers, have been impacted, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

Despite the escalating financial losses, Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, has stated that there are no intentions to offer compensation to airlines for delays or cancellations.

In response to the ongoing disruptions, Russia’s newly appointed Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin commented that the situation at Moscow’s airports is “somewhat improved” compared to May.

“Neither airports nor airlines can foresee when the ‘Carpet Plan’ [emergency airspace closure] will be activated,” he noted. “We plan to collaborate with the Defense Ministry to seek solutions, but ensuring safety is our utmost concern.”