Air traffic at Sochi airport faces another disruption, causing a delay for 47 scheduled flights.
Sochi Airport has been experiencing flight delays for the fourth consecutive day, primarily due to reported drone attacks in the Krasnodar region. These attacks have prompted temporary airspace restrictions and emergency protocols by Russian authorities, severely disrupting airport operations and causing numerous flight delays and cancellations.
On August 8 and 9, 2025, drone strikes led to the closure and restriction of airspace over Sochi, resulting in dozens of flights being delayed or canceled, including some flights diverted to alternate airports. The Russian Defense Ministry reported shooting down 10 drones over the region during this period.
Airlines such as Aeroflot have announced forced schedule adjustments and cancellations due to these restrictions. The delays are expected to continue at least until these security-related restrictions are fully lifted and the airspace is deemed safe for normal operations. Earlier communications suggested flight schedule stabilization might occur within about two days after restrictions are lifted, but ongoing drone threats have extended these disruptions over several days.
Despite the ongoing delays, the staff at Sochi Airport reported a calm situation with no crowds of passengers on August 10. As of 10:30, 30 flights are delayed for departure from Sochi Airport.
Meanwhile, Red Wings airline has launched flights to Gelendzhik from Tatarstan in August, and also several flights from Yekaterinburg. The destinations affected for departing flights include a variety of cities such as Chelyabinsk, Samara, Orenburg, Tel Aviv, Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, Tashkent, St. Petersburg, Antalya, Pskov, Kazan, Moscow, Istanbul, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Saratov, Hurghada, Nizhnekamsk, Kirensk, Orsk, and Krasnoyarsk.
However, the affected arrival cities are Dubai, Yaroslavl, Tbilisi, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Hurghada, Saratov, Moscow, Tel Aviv, Kazan, Pskov, and Nizhnekamsk. No new information was provided about the affected departure cities on August 10 and 11, or about the number of delayed flights during this period.
In a positive development, the new airport in the Krasnodar region is expected to be completed by 2027, with a construction cost of 290 million rubles. This new airport may provide an alternative to Sochi Airport in the future, offering a more efficient and reliable travel experience for passengers in the region.
[1] [https://tass.ru/ekonomica/12546329] [2] [https://www.rbc.ru/business/19/08/2025/5f385e159a7947a8e842d40b] [3] [https://www.interfax.ru/russia/812764] [4] [https://www.kp.ru/daily/27911/5166563/] [5] [https://www.gazeta.ru/business/2025/08/10/15581884.shtml]
[1] The disrupted air travel in the Krasnodar region due to drone attacks has affected passengers' lifestyles, with numerous flight delays and cancellations.
[2] Alongside the unpredictable weather conditions, the travel situation in the Krasnodar region has made it difficult for people to plan their journeys, particularly for those traveling to or from cities such as Dubai, Yaroslavl, Tbilisi, and Istanbul.
