Moscow airspace restrictions cause widespread flight cancellations

Temporary airspace restrictions at Moscow’s four major airports—Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—caused widespread aviation disruptions. The restrictions, which were lifted around 07:00 local time, were reportedly linked to drone and balloon activity in the Moscow region.

Turkish Airlines saw 11 flights from Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, and Dalaman to Vnukovo cancelled. Many of these aircraft were diverted to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport or Minsk, Belarus, while others returned to their departure points. Pegasus Airlines also experienced significant delays exceeding 11 hours, with some flights diverted to Pulkovo or returning to Istanbul.

International carriers were also affected, including Flydubai, which saw flights diverted to Nizhny Novgorod and Pulkovo, and Georgian Airways, which was rerouted to Kazan. Nesma Airlines flights from Egypt were delayed in Belarus before reaching Vnukovo. Data from Flightradar24 indicated that Vnukovo experienced the most significant impact, with over 40 percent of flights delayed and approximately 10 percent cancelled.