Flights suspended at Sheremetyevo airport due to airspace limitations
Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport faced significant operational disruptions on the night of July 4 to early July 5, 2025, as a result of temporary flight restrictions imposed due to Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian military and strategic assets.
The restrictions, enforced by Rosaviatsiya, were part of a broader security response to the ongoing threat posed by drones over various regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. The attacks resulted in the interception and destruction of a large number of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (around 94 to 120 drones).
The temporary restrictions on flights in the Moscow airspace mainly affected Sheremetyevo's operations, leading to a halt in outgoing flights. A total of 174 flights were canceled, and 47 flights were delayed for more than two hours, causing significant congestion at the airport. Overcrowding in terminals resulted in passengers being stranded for extended periods, with reports of people having to sit or lie on the floor due to lack of seating.
To address these issues, additional staff members and ground handling equipment were deployed at Sheremetyevo. Specifically, 15 units of ground handling equipment and an additional 70 staff members were mobilised to assist passengers and manage the increased workload. Specialists from airlines and airports were also on hand to help passengers affected by the canceled and delayed flights.
Moreover, medical staff was increased in the terminals, and personnel to assist passengers with disabilities was also increased. These measures aimed to ensure the well-being of passengers during the challenging period.
It is important to note that no new information about the number of canceled or delayed flights at other Moscow airports, such as Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky, has been released. Similarly, no information about the percentage of canceled flights belonging to the "Aeroflot" group at these airports is available.
As of 21:00 Moscow time, the temporary restrictions were lifted, and all Moscow airports have resumed normal operations. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information regarding their flights.
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- The recent drone attacks by Ukraine have expanded the scope of general-news topics, as the ensuing flight restrictions, enforced by Rosaviatsiya, affected not only military and strategic assets but also civilian aviation, causing politics to intersect with general-news, especially in the case of the operational disruptions at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.
- As the temporary flight restrictions imposed due to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian assets caused significant congestion at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, leading to the cancelation and delay of numerous flights, the airport's response, including the deployment of additional staff members and ground handling equipment to attend to distressed passengers, has become a significant part of the ongoing political and general-news discourse.
