Turkish airlines cancel Moscow flights amid drone threat

Several Turkish airlines cancelled flights between Türkiye and Moscow overnight on September 1 following a drone attack and temporary restrictions at Moscow’s airports, although air services between the two countries were not completely suspended.

Pegasus Airlines accounted for the largest number of cancellations, particularly on routes serving Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. The disruptions came after Russia’s aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, imposed temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures at Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, citing flight safety concerns amid the threat of drone attacks.

According to flight-tracking systems, Pegasus flight PC390 from Istanbul to Moscow, which was scheduled to arrive at Vnukovo at around 05:05, and the return flight PC387, scheduled to depart at 04:00, were listed as cancelled.

Vnukovo’s departure board also showed three cancelled Pegasus flights from Moscow: PC1457 to Bodrum, PC1577 to Antalya and PC1459 to Dalaman. Other departures from the airport were also affected.

Russian media and passengers reported that tourists at Turkish resorts had received notifications about flight cancellations due to the “airspace situation.” In Bodrum, Pegasus passengers were waiting for flight PC1456, which had been scheduled to depart Milas-Bodrum Airport for Vnukovo at 00:05.

The impact extended beyond individual cancelled flights. When an aircraft is unable to reach Moscow, an airline may also be unable to operate its scheduled return flight or subsequent leg of the same aircraft rotation. Such disruptions can trigger delays, diversions, additional fuel costs and changes to crew schedules.

Rosaviatsia said it had restricted aircraft arrivals and departures at Moscow airports overnight to ensure flight safety. At Vnukovo, flights were temporarily handled only by prior arrangement, with a similar procedure introduced at Domodedovo.

At around 06:13 Moscow time, Rosaviatsia announced that the restrictions at the two airports had been lifted. Some flights operated by Turkish Airlines and other carriers subsequently departed, indicating that the overnight cancellations did not amount to a complete suspension of air services between Türkiye and Russia.

The disruptions came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the number of Ukrainian drones over Russian territory would increase. While saying Ukraine does not target civilian aircraft, he urged international airlines and insurers to take the risks associated with Russian airspace into account.

Most European and US airlines have avoided Russian airspace for some time. Airlines from Türkiye, China and the Gulf states, however, continue to operate flights to Russia and, in some cases, through Russian airspace.

Repeated restrictions at Moscow’s aviation hubs could prompt international carriers to reassess the reliability of their services, as even short-term airport closures can disrupt aircraft rotations, crew schedules and subsequent flights.

At the same time, Pegasus and Turkish Airlines continue to list Moscow routes on their booking systems. This indicates that the routes have not been withdrawn from sale, although the listing does not guarantee that every scheduled flight will operate as planned.

By Vafa Guliyeva