Turkish airlines have begun returning aircraft bound for Moscow to their departure airports, while some flights have been canceled due to airspace safety concerns. The move came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned about the risks of flying in Russian airspace.
This was reported by the Turkish news agency DHA.
The day before, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned airlines, insurers and international partners that Russian airspace was becoming increasingly dangerous for civilian aviation because of the presence of Ukrainian drones. He stressed that Ukraine does not intend to threaten civilian aircraft, but urged carriers to take into account the risks of flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian airports, while Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and other agencies are expected to provide the relevant information to international organizations.
After that, aircraft operated by Turkish airlines on flights to Moscow began returning to their departure airports, while some flights were canceled.
In particular, a Pegasus Airlines aircraft operating the Antalya — Moscow route was diverted to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport because of airspace safety concerns.
Other Pegasus flights were also affected by cancellations. In particular, flight PC387 from Moscow to Istanbul, scheduled for September 2, was listed as canceled.
At the same time, significant disruptions were reported at Moscow airports. According to Caliber.Az, citing figures from the Telegram channel “Ostorozhno, Moskva,” about 77 flights were delayed or canceled at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports: 40, 20 and 17 respectively. One flight from Antalya to Domodedovo was delayed by more than nine hours.
However, there has been no complete suspension of air travel between Turkey and Russia. Turkish Airlines’ website still showed flight options for Moscow — Istanbul in September, including September 2 and later dates.
