Turkish Pegasus and Turkish Airlines cancel dozens of flights to Russia after drone threats

Turkish airlines Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines cancelled a number of flights between Russia and Turkey overnight on September 2. Pegasus alone saw 12 departures and arrivals fail to take place at Vnukovo.

The official explanation cited technical and operational reasons, but passengers received notifications about the threat of a large-scale drone attack on Russian airspace.

The cancellations affected Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, and Ufa on the Russian side, as well as Istanbul, Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum, and Dalaman in Turkey. Passengers were offered the option to rebook on flights after September 2 or receive a refund. In St. Petersburg, Pegasus cancelled two departing and two arriving flights, though the daytime flight to Istanbul did go ahead — the plane departed from Pulkovo at 15:11 instead of the scheduled 15:00.

Vnukovo operated under restrictions for a period during the night. The airport noted that this had happened before: when a ban on receiving aircraft was introduced, planes operated by Turkish carriers would turn around and return to their departure airports.

Official explanations differ from what passengers heard

Pegasus Airlines said in an official statement that the decision was made following a daily assessment of its route network operations.

“Flights to Russia scheduled for the night of September 1 to 2 were cancelled for technical and operational reasons,” the company stated.

However, a reader of Fontanka named Zulfiya, who had been planning to fly from Ufa to Antalya, sent the outlet a photograph of a notice citing “ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine” and “the threat of a large-scale drone attack on Russian airspace” as the reason for the cancellation. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) in turn linked the cancellations to schedule adjustments due to the closure of airspace over a number of Russian cities.

“Russian airspace is closed, we are turning back”

Problems arose not only for those who had not yet departed. Some aircraft were already airborne when they were turned back to Turkey. A passenger named Elena told Fontanka that on the evening of September 1 she was flying from Antalya to Samara: the tourists had checked in, checked their luggage, and boarded the plane. The aircraft took off, but changed course approximately an hour into the flight.

“The flight began, we had been flying for an hour, and then the captain said that Russian airspace was closed and we were returning to Antalya,” the woman said.

According to her, the return journey took another hour, after which the plane circled over Antalya airport for approximately two to two and a half hours. After landing, passengers were taken to a hotel where they were provided with breakfast. However, after midday, according to Elena, food and water became chargeable. Later, tourists bound for Samara and Ufa were put back on buses and brought to the airport.

“There is no information at the airport — not on the boards, not from the guides. There is simply no one here who could answer any question,” Elena described the situation. Passengers were only able to reach a Pegasus representative through an interpreter. According to the woman, tourists were told that there might be no flights for the next day or two, but no exact departure date was given.

“In short, you’re on your own, figure it out yourselves,” was how the passenger characterized the situation.

Some tourists decided not to wait and independently purchased tickets to Moscow. Others remained at the airport. Zulfiya, whose flight from Ufa to Antalya at 06:50 on September 2 was cancelled, said: “There is no additional information; we are waiting for a decision from the tour operator. We were going on holiday. The flight was cancelled, so we went home.”

Tour operators rebook clients, consulate general monitors the situation

Russian tour operators have begun rebooking clients from cancelled Pegasus and Turkish Airlines flights onto other carriers, ATOR told Interfax. Companies are providing transfers and accommodation to tourists who were unable to return from Turkey. Those who were unable to depart from Russia are being advised to stay in contact with their travel agents and await information about alternative flights.

The situation is being monitored by the Russian consulate general. Diplomats told RIA Novosti that, according to Pegasus, passengers on cancelled flights are provided with a hotel, meals, and drinks if necessary.

Flights continue, cancellations for September 3 not confirmed

Despite what occurred, there is no talk for now of Turkish airlines halting flights to Russia altogether. Vnukovo stressed that other Turkish carriers continued flying — 16 aircraft from Turkey arrived at the airport within a 24-hour period. Pulkovo had not received notifications from foreign carriers about long-term schedule changes. According to ATOR, there are no confirmed cancellations of Pegasus and Turkish Airlines flights for September 3 — they remain on the schedule, though tourists are advised to check their flight status immediately before heading to the airport.

Zelensky’s statements and Moscow’s reaction

The flight cancellations were preceded by a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On September 1, he urged foreign airlines, insurers, and passengers to take into account the threat posed by Ukrainian drones and declared that Russian airspace would be “de facto closed.” At the same time, Zelensky claimed that Ukraine did not intend to attack civilian aircraft.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on Zelensky’s remarks about flight safety, called them “a bid for state terrorism.” Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin stated that the ministry was working with the Ministry of Defence and the Russian National Guard to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

“We are working in close contact with the Ministry of Defence and the Russian National Guard, and I believe we will not allow any significant disruptions to civil aviation,” the minister said.