Flights resumed without restrictions at Sochi's airport.
The bustling skies of Sochi Airport were once again filled with the hum of aircraft, as the ban on accepting and dispatching aircraft was lifted at 21:59 on July 1, 2023. This marked the reopening of the airport, which had been temporarily suspended due to a possible drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The attack, reportedly at the airport, caused significant damage, including fires at an oil depot hosting Russian military planes. However, further details about the impact on the airport operations and the response to the attack were not provided.
Following several months of reconstruction and increased security measures, the airport reopened, resuming flights operated by Russian carriers such as Rossiya Airlines, part of the Aeroflot Group, using domestically-produced Superjet 100 aircraft. The lifting of the suspension was necessary to restore essential air travel infrastructure in the region while adapting to the challenges imposed by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions impacting the Russian aviation sector.
The decision to lift the ban was announced by Rosaviatsiya, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency. It is important to note that this was not the first time the airport had been suspended due to the conflict, as a temporary suspension was reported earlier. However, with the airport now back in operation, the skies over Sochi are once again open for business, supporting civilian travel and regional connectivity.
- The recent reopening of Sochi Airport, following reconstruction and increased security measures, has prompted a resumption of politics in the region, as Russian carriers like Rossiya Airlines, part of the Aeroflot Group, operate flights using domestically-produced Superjet 100 aircraft.
- In the midst of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions impacting the Russian aviation sector, the lifting of the suspension on Sochi Airport is a significant move in the general-news of air travel infrastructure restoration, supporting civilian travel and regional connectivity.
