Moscow Airports Reeling from Weekend Drone Assaults as 1,000 Flights Grounded

Ukrainian drone strikes led to another round of flight cancellations and delays at Moscow’s airports over the weekend, with reports from Russian media indicating that over 1,000 flights were either postponed or scrapped.

The airports of Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky experienced significant operational halts as Russian air defenses intercepted multiple drones aimed at the capital between July 19 and 21.

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

Flight operations were frequently suspended due to airspace closures, with Sheremetyevo alone canceling more than 170 flights and causing delays to hundreds more just on Monday, as reported by the RBC news website. Vnukovo and Domodedovo also encountered considerable disruptions.

This incident marks the fourth disruption to air traffic in Moscow since early May, coinciding with the peak of the tourist season.

Industry statistics reveal that the total duration of airport closures over the past three months has surpassed 24 hours at each of the major airports in the city, with Domodedovo experiencing over 60 hours of interruptions.

Since the beginning of May, airlines have canceled around 1,000 flights, diverting 430 aircraft to other airports. An estimated 200,000 passengers, roughly one in every ten air travelers, have been impacted, as calculated by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

In spite of the increasing financial strain, the state aviation authority Rosaviatsia has announced it will not provide compensation to airlines for delays or cancellations.

In light of the recent disruptions, Russia’s new Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin remarked that conditions at Moscow’s airports have improved «slightly» compared to May.

«Neither the airports nor the airlines can foresee when the ‘Carpet Plan’ [emergency airspace closure] will be activated,» he stated. «We will certainly collaborate with the Defense Ministry to seek a resolution, but safety is our primary concern.»