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Foreign Airlines Rethink Moscow Flights Amid Rising Drone Threats
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![Ivan_khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
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At least two foreign airlines are considering moving part of their operations from Moscow airports to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, amid growing concerns over drone attacks and repeated disruptions to airspace in the Moscow region.
According to Russian media Vedomosti, sources from a Russian airline and one of the airports confirmed that both companies already operate flights to Pulkovo. One of the carriers involved may be Turkish Airlines.
The key factor driving this reassessment is the increasing frequency of temporary airspace closures over Moscow and the surrounding areas due to drone activity.
Sources noted a growing trend of international travelers choosing to depart from Moscow but arriving via St. Petersburg, possibly to avoid travel disruptions in the capital.
Despite this, the press service of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport stated that foreign airlines have not officially transferred flights from Moscow to Pulkovo at this stage.
The discussions come amid broader concerns over the effectiveness of Russia’s air defenses and the expanding reach of aerial threats to major cities.
Earlier, on January 24, a large-scale drone attack prompted temporary flight restrictions at multiple Russian airports, including all three major Moscow hubs—Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky.
Flights were briefly halted or diverted, and similar measures were introduced in six other cities. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 121 drones were intercepted overnight across 13 regions, including several over Moscow.
