“Ghost flight” to Yekaterinburg leaves 150 Russians stranded at Istanbul Airport

About 150 Russian passengers were left stranded at Istanbul Airport after discovering that the flight they were supposed to take allegedly did not exist.

Russian media reported that passengers were informed by representatives of Ural Airlines that the flight scheduled to take them to Yekaterinburg was not listed in the system. The departure of the aircraft was postponed three times, adding to confusion and frustration among those waiting.

According to one eyewitness, the plane operating flight U6-774 was due to depart from Istanbul to Yekaterinburg at 20:15 on December 29. The flight was suddenly delayed, and when passengers sought clarification, airline support staff reportedly told them that there was no such flight. During the extended waiting period, passengers said they were not provided with drinking water or a place for temporary accommodation. Food vouchers were distributed only once.

Later, Ural Airlines explained that the delay was caused by strong winds, which led to the aircraft arriving late in Istanbul from Sochi. The airline’s representatives stressed that all necessary assistance measures had been provided to passengers in accordance with federal law.

By Tamilla Hasanova