Restrictions at Russian Airports: Changes in Flight Schedules Due to Security and Technical Limitations
Russian aviation hubs, particularly in the capitals Moscow and Saint Petersburg, initiated additional restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft Saturday evening.
This measure was a response to escalating security concerns and technical limitations linked to external factors.
Amid official reports and sources citing the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) and leading airlines such as Aeroflot, Rossiya, and Pobeida, several flights were altered or suspended, with some flights redirected to backup airports.
Specifically, Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport imposed restrictions within its airspace perimeter, substantially impacting flight schedules.
Despite these constraints, the airport continues serving both domestic and international flights, operating based on current operational capabilities and priority protocols.
In Saint Petersburg, Pulkovo Airport rerouted over thirty flights to alternative airports or postponed them, resulting in delays for more than fifty flights.
Ultimately, most operations at these airports have resumed; however, restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures remain in effect.
These measures were implemented Saturday night and extended to other significant Russian airports, including Nizhny Novgorod, Tambov, Samara, Nizhnekamsk, Izhevsk, Ulyanovsk, Kirov, Kazan, and Penza.
The background to these restrictions includes a drone attack earlier that Saturday in Saint Petersburg, the Leningrad region, and Moscow, which prompted heightened security protocols in the affected regions.