Anticipated delays at Moscow airports prior to 9 May: anticipated hold times for flights, Turkish Airlines significantly reduces or cancels most departures.
Facing Chaos in Moscow's Skies: Delays and Cancellations Amid Drone Attacks
In the lead-up to May 9th, Moscow grapples with ongoing mobile connectivity and air communication issues, leaving a trail of disrupted flights and stranded passengers in its wake. Despite minimal Ukrainian drone activity targeting the Russian capital on May 8th, over 100 flights were delayed or cancelled, continuing a second day of travel woes.
By 9 AM on May 8th, more than a hundred flights - both departures and arrivals - faced delays across Moscow's airports, primarily impacting operations at Vnukovo Airport. One affected airline, Turkish Airlines, cancelled almost all its flights to and from Vnukovo and Turkey, as reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).
"Turkish Airlines currently only has one active flight to Istanbul, while Pegasus Airlines has one flight to Antalya and one to Istanbul, but these flights are likely to be cancelled as well," ATOR stated.
This turbulence extends to flights from Turkish resorts, with ATOR indicating that over 1500 people have been housed in Antalya hotels due to cancellations.
The Russian Ministry of Transport assures it will rectify the situation by 6 PM Moscow time on May 8th. However, ATOR notes that according to airport displays, normalization might not occur until around 8 PM.
Russian Minister of Transport Roman Starovoyt intends to inspect all Moscow's airports and assess their operational effectiveness. At Sheremetyevo, he acknowledged "subpar collaboration between Aeroflot and passengers of delayed and cancelled flights" and demanded all obstacles be addressed in favor of passengers.
Some travelers have been left waiting for their flights for over 24 hours, as reported by various media outlets. For example, a Telegram channel "Cautiously, News" highlighted a passenger who attempted to reach Yekaterinburg, having to endure extended waits at both Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports.
Passengers of S7 flight S73741 (S7 Airlines) to Antalya were left in limbo for over 30 hours, waiting for their departure from Domodedovo, according to the MSK1 Telegram channel overnight on May 8th. However, the Domodedovo press service claimed the airport was operating normally on May 8th, attributing the individual flight delays to the phased restoration of the flight schedule.
Large-scale airport delays in Moscow are often associated with drone attacks, which temporarily halt incoming and outgoing flights.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a brief, three-day ceasefire from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 10. Despite this ceasefire, no new reports of drone activity in the Moscow area surfaced on Thursday night, nor were there any official announcements of airport closures.
The Unyielding Specter of Communication Blackout
In the midst of this turmoil, concerns over a potential mobile and internet communication shutdown on May 9th loom large. On May 7, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for understanding regarding the restriction of mobile internet operation in Moscow. Disruptions in the operation of Russian mobile operators began on May 5.
Journalist Faryda Rustamova, citing sources within two mobile operators, claims that mobile internet is being "jammed" across all of Moscow for the first time. Meanwhile, operators anticipate the disruption of not only the internet but also mobile connectivity during the first half of May 9.
Rumors of a complete shutdown of communication on May 9th were also circulated by the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU (registered as a "foreign agent").
The planned full shutdown of mobile and internet communication in Moscow, officially justified by Russian authorities as a precautionary safety measure for the annual Victory Day parade, has sparked concerns and controversy. Russian officials, including Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, have cited the presence of "dangerous neighbors" as the reason for these restrictions, aiming to ensure the parade proceeds "at the appropriate level" and to prevent real-time sharing of information during possible security incidents.
Experts note that Russian authorities have previously tested the ability to temporarily disconnect major cities from the internet during Ukrainian drone strikes, and these planned outages are also intended to limit the immediate circulation of reports and imagery of any incidents during the parade.
- Amidst the turmoil of delayed and cancelled flights in Moscow, Turkish Airlines has been significantly affected, having almost all its flights to and from Vnukovo and Turkey cancelled.
- The ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin does not seem to have alleviated the issue of drone attacks, as no new reports of drone activity in the Moscow area surfaced on Thursday night.
- In addition to the ongoing air travel problems, there are growing concerns about a potential mobile and internet communication shutdown on May 9th in Moscow. Journalist Faryda Rustamova claims that mobile internet is being "jammed" across all of Moscow.
- The planned full shutdown of mobile and internet communication in Moscow has sparked controversy, with experts suggesting that it is intended to limit the immediate circulation of reports and imagery of any incidents during the annual Victory Day parade.
