A regional airport on Russia’s Black Sea coast will soon reopen more than three years after it suspended operations following the launch of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Transportation Ministry announced Wednesday.
“Gelendzhik Airport is preparing to resume operations,” the ministry said in a statement. “The airport is scheduled to reopen soon for domestic flights. Tickets will go on sale after the official announcement.”
An unnamed official from the Transportation Ministry told the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia that Aeroflot will resume daytime-only flights from Gelendzhik, located in the Krasnodar region, starting on July 18.
Flights at 11 airports across southern and central Russia were grounded in February 2022 over safety concerns after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine.
Elista Airport in the republic of Kalmykia was the first to resume service in May 2024 after being deemed safe from Ukrainian drone strikes. The ministry said Elista handled 324 flights and 29,000 passengers in the first half of 2025.
Pashkovsky Airport in the Krasnodar region received a test flight in December 2023, but reopening plans were later shelved for undisclosed reasons.
Earlier this week, the Kremlin-installed head of annexed Crimea said flights to and from Simferopol International Airport could resume “immediately” once given the green light by Putin.
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