Aircraft Departures Disrupted: 85 Delays Reported at Sochi Airport
In the skies over Sochi, Russia, on August 9, 2025, a series of drone attacks caused significant chaos. The Krasnodar Krai region witnessed ten drones being shot down by air defenses, resulting in temporary airspace closures and operational restrictions at Sochi and nearby Gelendzhik airports for security reasons.
The disruptions affected numerous flights, including those from major Russian cities such as Moscow, Perm, Surgut, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Novokuznetsk, Norilsk, as well as international destinations like Antalya (Turkey) and Sharjah (UAE). Approximately 57 flights were delayed, and one was canceled by the morning of August 9, causing large crowds at the airport.
Passenger disruptions extended across Krasnodar Krai and other regions, with approximately 1,000 passengers stranded as reported by the West Siberian Transport Prosecutor's Office. In response, Aeroflot and Rossiya Airlines adjusted their flight schedules, canceling some flights to Sochi and Gelendzhik, and advising passengers to rebook or request refunds.
The restrictions on Sochi airport operation were lifted by August 11, with the airport returning to normal mode and delays dropping to no more than 2% of flights; Gelendzhik airport also resumed normal operations then.
The flight delays at Sochi Airport were due to flight restrictions imposed in response to the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks on August 8. Temporary restrictions were also imposed at Gelendzhik Airport around noon on August 8. Inbound flights delayed at Sochi Airport included those from Yerevan, Makhachkala, Batumi, Mineralnye Vody, Istanbul, Stavropol, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, and other cities. As of 9:20 AM on August 9, 36 flights were delayed at Sochi Airport, with another 49 flights delayed inbound to Sochi.
Among the cities currently experiencing flight delays from Sochi are Moscow, Istanbul, Magnitogorsk, Tomsk, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novokuznetsk, Norilsk, Almaty, Antalya, Tbilisi, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Yerevan, and others. No new airports with flight restrictions were mentioned in the current paragraph. The threat of drone attacks was announced again at 7:11 PM on August 8, and restrictions were reinstated at Sochi Airport. No new information about the source of the drone threat or the authority imposing the flight restrictions was provided in the current paragraph.
- Despite the ongoing threat of drone attacks, some passengers tried to maintained their lifestyle by exploring travel destinations, with popular choices including sports events such as soccer matches in Antalya, Turkey.
- In an attempt to restore normalcy to their travel plans, stranded passengers in the Krasnodar Krai region expressed interest in local sports activities or excursions that could provide an alternative to their canceled or delayed flights.
