Flight cancellations in Russia doubled in the first nine months of 2026, while delays lasting more than three hours rose 2.2-fold as drone alerts disrupted airport operations, the Kommersant newspaper reported Friday, citing insurer AlfaStrakhovanie.
More than 7.6 million passengers waited over three hours to depart, 2.5 times the number a year earlier, according to the insurer, which tracks 30 major Russian airlines and about 60 foreign carriers accounting for roughly 97% of passenger traffic in Russia.
AlfaStrakhovanie linked the deterioration to restrictions imposed because of the threat of Ukrainian drones. Emergency flight restrictions have been imposed almost daily in southern and central Russia since late April, Kommersant reported.
The number of flights delayed by more than an hour rose 70% year on year to 128,000 between January and September. Delays of at least two hours doubled to 77,000.
Some 51,000 flights were delayed by at least three hours, 2.2 times the number a year earlier, while delays of four hours or more rose 2.4-fold to 36,000.
The share of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled time fell from 57% to 52%.
Separate Transportation Ministry figures showed that 118,100 flights departed more than two hours late between January and August, up 20.3% from the same period in 2025.
The ministry’s figures cover a broader range of aviation, including small aircraft, cargo, charter and government flights, accounting for the difference from the insurer’s estimates, Kommersant said.
Sources at four regional airports told the newspaper they wanted faster notification when emergency restrictions were lifted.
Gelendzhik airport said timely updates from the Defense Ministry were particularly important for assisting passengers and clearing aircraft that remained on the apron during closures.
Russia’s aviation regulator Rosaviatsia also cited weather and aircraft malfunctions as causes of delays and cancellations.
Industry sources have previously told Kommersant that frequent airport closures allow airlines to obscure problems with the condition of their fleets.
The Transportation Ministry said the share of delays attributed to technical problems fell from 12.7% to 10.1% year on year. Aviation industry sources linked that decline to airlines operating fewer aircraft.
According to Kommersant, airlines had not brought 20% of their aircraft into service for the peak travel season. Among the top 10 carriers, excluding Aeroflot, roughly a third of their fleets were idle.
This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence and was reviewed by a Moscow Times editor before publication. Learn more about our newsroom's AI policy here.
Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service.
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