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Turkish Pegasus Cancels Russia Flights After Zelenskyy’s Airspace Warning
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Turkey’s largest private airline, Pegasus Airlines, turned several Moscow-bound aircraft around mid-flight and canceled dozens of services to Russia overnight on September 2, amid drone-related disruptions at Russian airports and warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the growing risks of operating in Russian airspace.
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According to The Moscow Times on September 2, three Pegasus flights—PC1456 from Bodrum to Moscow, PC1521 from Izmir to Moscow, and PC1576 from Antalya to Moscow—returned to their departure airports before reaching the Russian capital.
Later in the morning, Pegasus canceled dozens of additional flights connecting Istanbul, Antalya, Izmir, and Dalaman with Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. Return services departing Russia were also affected.
A Pegasus representative told passengers on one canceled service that “the Turkish side is prohibiting departures,” according to The Moscow Times, adding that the airline did not know how the situation would develop. Pegasus ticket offices in Russia were also reportedly unable to confirm whether upcoming flights to Moscow would operate.
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The cancellations coincided with widespread disruption at Moscow airports following warnings of incoming drones. Around 80 flights were delayed or canceled overnight, including 40 at Sheremetyevo Airport, 20 at Domodedovo Airport, and 17 at Vnukovo Airport.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its forces intercepted 130 Ukrainian drones overnight across 11 Russian regions and temporarily occupied Crimea. The ministry’s figures could not be independently verified.
The flight disruptions came a day after Zelenskyy warned international airlines and insurers that continued operations through Russian airspace were becoming increasingly risky.
“We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses key Russian airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Kyiv would not target civilian aircraft, while warning that Ukrainian drones would increasingly operate over Russia “on a scale that must be taken into account.” He said Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major destinations would be particularly affected.
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