Flights at Sochi airport experience significant delays, affecting over 30 departures
Sochi Airport, a major hub in Russia, faced significant disruptions starting from August 8, 2025, due to drone attacks and related security restrictions. On this day, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency imposed twice-daily airspace restrictions over Sochi, following reports of drone threats. As a result, over 55 flights were delayed, including both domestic and international routes.
The following day, August 9, the disruptions continued with 57 flights delayed and one canceled. The airport operations were heavily disrupted, leading to large crowds forming. These disruptions affected flights from major Russian cities and international destinations such as Antalya and Sharjah.
However, by August 11, 2025, Sochi Airport had largely returned to normal functioning. Flight delays dropped to no more than 1-2% of total flights, with these delays primarily attributed to airline operational reasons rather than security issues. The airport and all associated services resumed regular operations, and air traffic restrictions were lifted. The nearby Gelendzhik airport also returned to normal operations on August 11.
During the initial disruptions, it was planned to normalize the schedule within one to two days. As of 10:30 AM on August 8, 35 flights were delayed by more than two hours. Despite the challenges, airlines were working closely with airport services to restore the schedule, with departing flights being served in the order they are ready and arriving flights being served as they arrived.
In summary, Sochi Airport's operational disruption due to drone attacks lasted from August 8 to around August 11, 2025, with the most significant delays on August 8–9. The airport is now operating according to schedule, returning to near-normal flight schedules by August 11.
- The general-news about Sochi Airport's operational disruptions caused a ripple in the weather of flights scheduled from major Russian cities and international destinations like Antalya and Sharjah.
- After the weather of disruptions at Sochi Airport, a major hub in Russia, subsided by August 11, 2025, weather reports showed a more normal flight schedule for the following days.
