Turkish Airlines is preparing to cancel some flights from Moscow due to drone attacks

Turkish Airlines has begun negotiations with the Russian side regarding the possibility of transferring some of its flights from Moscow's Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports to Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, the Russian newspaper Vedomosti reports, citing its own sources.

This decision is due to frequent closures of airspace over Moscow due to drone attacks, which creates risks for regular air traffic.

According to the publication, another major foreign airline has also made a similar request. This is probably Emirates, whose president previously suggested revising the flight schedule to Russia.

Turkish Airlines currently operates 42 flights per week from St. Petersburg to Antalya, 21 to Istanbul, and four flights per week to Dalaman and Bodrum.

From Moscow, the airline operates 61 flights per week to Antalya, 44 to Istanbul, 7 to Bodrum, and 11 to Dalaman.

Pulkovo has repeatedly served as a backup airport during temporary closures of airspace over Moscow.

In 2024, St. Petersburg Airport served 20.9 million passengers, 3% more than in the previous year, retaining second place in terms of traffic volume among Russian airports.

Experts note that rescheduling flights to St. Petersburg is a forced measure, but for Turkish Airlines it may be more profitable, because the airline uses European Union airspace and enters Russian territory from the west.

• On May 6, airports in a number of Russian cities, including Moscow, Samara, Kaluga, Volgograd, and Saratov, were suspended due to a massive drone attack.