Operations at 13 Russian airports paralyzed after strike in Rostov
Kyiv • UNN
Due to a drone strike in Rostov, operations at 13 Russian airports have been suspended. More than 14,000 passengers are waiting for flights to resume or for flight changes.
The operation of 13 airports in southern Russia has been suspended due to a drone strike on the air navigation administrative building in Rostov, "Nastoyashchee Vremya" reports, citing a statement from the Russian Ministry of Transport, according to UNN.
Details
"The operation of the regional center in Rostov-on-Don, which manages air traffic in southern Russia, has been temporarily adjusted," the statement reads.
As reported by The Moscow Times, the dispatch center in Rostov—the strike on which led Russian authorities to impose air traffic restrictions in southern regions—coordinates up to 2,000 civilian flights daily, including up to 1,000 transit flights.
Operations have been temporarily suspended at airports in Astrakhan, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd, Gelendzhik, Grozny, Krasnodar, Makhachkala, Magas, Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik, Sochi, Stavropol, and Elista.
The Russian Ministry of Transport noted that air traffic management technologies and flight schedules are being adjusted.
According to a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions), the skies over southern Russia will be closed to civilian aircraft until 11:59 PM on May 11. The restrictions will specifically affect transit flights passing through the restricted zone to other countries. However, Rosaviatsia emphasized that this timeframe may be shortened.
Flights over the southern regions of the Russian Federation have been de facto halted, according to FlightRadar data. The flight program to southern Russia will be "reduced," the Russian Ministry of Transport warned on Friday.
Russian media, citing the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, reported that more than 80 flights have been delayed or canceled at southern Russian airports, with at least 14,000 passengers waiting for departure. According to Mash, 184 flights are delayed and 26 have been canceled.
Flights were also suspended at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. More than 50 flights have been delayed or canceled; some, as Russian media write, have been unable to depart for over 24 hours.
Specialists have been sent to assess the damage at the regional center in Rostov to determine the possibility of restoring the damaged equipment, the agency indicated. The head of the Russian Ministry of Transport ordered the evacuation of passengers from the closed airports by train and bus.
Flights at airports in southern Russia are planned to resume after 3:00 PM local time, the Russian Ministry of Transport reported.