Flight cancellations in Russia double as Ukrainian drone attacks disrupt airports
Chaos at a Russian airport (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian drone attacks have led to daily flight delays and cancellations in Russia. These figures have doubled compared to last year, The Moscow Times reports.
Daily Carpet plan
From January to September 2026, the frequency of scheduled passenger flight cancellations in Russia doubled amid Ukrainian drone strikes. Meanwhile, the number of lengthy delays increased by an average of 2.2 times, the media outlet reports.
AlfaStrakhovanie monitors flights operated by 30 major Russian and around 60 foreign airlines, which account for approximately 97% of passenger traffic in Russia.
In 2026, more than 7.6 million people waited over three hours for their flights to depart, 2.5 times more than in 2025.
How long Russians wait
The following flight delay figures were recorded from January to September 2026:
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The number of flights delayed by more than one hour increased 1.7 times year-on-year, reaching 128,000.
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Passengers had to wait at least two hours for departure twice as often, with 77,000 such cases recorded.
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The number of delays lasting three hours or more increased 2.2 times, reaching 51,000.
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Delays lasting four hours or more increased 2.4 times, reaching 36,000.
The share of flights departing no more than 15 minutes late fell from 57% to 52%.
AlfaStrakhovanie attributes the worsening figures to restrictions on airport operations due to threats of Ukrainian drone attacks.
Since late April, the Carpet plan has been activated in Russia's southern and central regions almost daily.
In addition to the Carpet plan and weather conditions, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency also cites aircraft malfunctions among the reasons for delays and cancellations.
On September 20, more than 400 flights were delayed or canceled in Moscow amid what Russian authorities described as the largest Ukrainian drone attack on the region.
In addition, more than 120 flights were canceled or delayed at Moscow's major airports, Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo, due to a massive drone attack on September 3.
