Flights to Turkey Canceled: Thousands of Passengers Stranded Amid Russia’s Aviation Disruptions

Russia’s aviation sector continues to face one of its most severe disruptions in recent months. Temporary airspace restrictions have caused widespread delays and cancellations of flights. Despite official statements about resuming regular schedules, thousands of passengers are still waiting for departures both domestically and internationally, with the situation remaining tense.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), on May 8, 2025, Turkish Airlines canceled 20 flights from Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport—including routes to Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, and Istanbul—mainly in the morning and afternoon. Pegasus Airlines canceled four more flights. An additional seven departures were canceled from St. Petersburg. Turkish Airlines has already announced eight more flight cancellations from Vnukovo for the night of May 9.

An estimated 15,000 tourists were affected as of Thursday, including those with upcoming flights. Passengers are stranded not only in Russia but also abroad. In Antalya, more than 1,500 Russians are temporarily accommodated in hotels, waiting to return home. Authorities are still arranging accommodation for around 200 people in Dalaman.

Tour operators like Anex Tour confirm they are coordinating accommodations and rescheduling information directly with hotel staff and tour guides. A similar stance was expressed by Intourist, emphasizing that all travelers will eventually be brought back to Russia.

Meanwhile, travelers whose outbound flights were canceled before departure are being offered three options: reschedule dates (with price adjustments), rebooking on available flights, or a full refund. Despite a significant shortage of flight capacity, market participants assure they are in constant contact with airlines to secure alternative options.

"We understand the stress passengers are experiencing and are doing everything we can to uphold their rights despite extraordinary circumstances. Travelers should stay in touch with their travel agents for the most current updates," one major tour operator stated.

According to the Moscow Interregional Transport Prosecutor's Office, as of the morning of May 8, delays affected 34 departures and 28 arrivals at Vnukovo, 15 departures and 12 arrivals at Sheremetyevo, 2 departures at Domodedovo, and 5 departures and 7 arrivals at Zhukovsky. Later, Russia’s Transport Ministry (Mintrans) reported 51 delayed departures and 43 delayed arrivals in Moscow’s airports, affecting over 14,000 passengers.

Sheremetyevo recorded 36 flight cancellations on May 8, with 18 departures delayed by more than two hours. Domodedovo saw 29 cancellations and 23 significant delays. Additional staff were mobilized to provide water, meals, rest areas, and family services. However, as Transport Minister Roman Starovoit noted (source), Aeroflot failed to maintain proper communication with passengers, leading authorities to require 24-hour service desks at ticket counters.

Meanwhile, passengers complained about discrepancies between official reports and their on-the-ground experiences. According to RusNews (source), many people spent over 30 hours inside terminals, sleeping on benches and floors, with little to no updates from airlines.

Regional airports were also affected. URA.RU (source) reported cancellations in routes to Ufa, Kazan, Murmansk, Astrakhan, Stavropol, and others. Passengers described long waits, a lack of information, and non-functioning call centers.

Yekaterinburg’s Koltsovo Airport also faced disruptions, with delays and cancellations of flights to Dushanbe, Moscow, and Antalya. Some passengers reported repeated rescheduling, while crews required mandatory rest periods. A Ural Airlines flight from Domodedovo to Chita departed two days late. S7 passengers to Antalya reported food vouchers became useless after airport vendors ran out of supplies.

Despite claims of “standard procedures,” many passengers said no airline representatives were present at airports, forcing them to seek information independently. Social media reflected growing frustration over the lack of coordination between airlines and tour operators.

By the evening of May 8, Mintrans, Rosaviatsia, and Turkish Airlines (source) announced a plan to fully resume flights between Russia and Turkey on May 9. Canceled flights from May 8 are scheduled to be operated by Azur Air and SouthWind, with Turkish Airlines considering adding extra flights on Friday. Whether these measures will resolve the situation remains to be seen. For now, systemic issues—from weak customer support to limited backup capacity—persist.