Passengers of Aeroflot, Pobeda, and Rossiya airlines, whose flights were canceled on June 18 due to temporary restrictions on Moscow airports' operations, have been advised not to come to the air terminals yet. According to various estimates based on online flight boards of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky, the number of canceled, delayed, and diverted flights for departure and arrival exceeded 300.

Chkalov Nizhny Novgorod Airport received 27 Moscow flights as an alternate, 15 of which were international.

According to ATOR, flight cancellations affected about 8,000 tourists: some were supposed to fly abroad, others to return home. However, the main resort destinations were almost unaffected by the disruptions. Only four flights to Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, and Hurghada were canceled, the latter operated by Nesma Airlines. Tour operators are already rebooking tickets for clients affected by canceled departures.

At 10:58 Moscow time, Rosaviatsiya announced the lifting of restrictions at Sheremetyevo Airport, and subsequently at Domodedovo and Vnukovo. Zhukovsky is accepting and dispatching flights in coordination with authorities.

Airlines previously clarified the procedure for customers. Passengers can request a refund or rebook tickets remotely.

For Aeroflot and Rossiya airlines, a chatbot on the official website and the "Manage Booking" section are available for this purpose. Refunds for fully unused tickets purchased through the carrier's website or contact center can also be processed online. If the ticket was purchased through an agency or third-party service, you must contact the place of purchase.

Pobeda airline recommended tracking flight status via chatbot, the official website of the departure airport, as well as email and SMS notifications provided during booking. A forced refund mechanism is available for customers, which also applies to tickets purchased at non-refundable fares.

Carriers continue to inform passengers about all schedule changes. In addition, in case of flight delays, airlines are obliged to provide services in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

Additional staff has been deployed to support passengers, and airport services are operating in an enhanced mode. Rostransnadzor inspectors are on site. Information and reference services and airport call centers have also been strengthened.

Restrictions on airport operations were introduced amid an attack by enemy drones on Moscow and the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that the number of UAVs shot down on approach to the capital reached 180.

Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov reported hits and falling debris in Zhukovsky, Elektrostal, Lyubertsy, Chekhov, and Pavlovsky Posad.

As a result of the UAV attack in the Moscow region, 16 people were injured, including 2 children, the head of the region reported. Among the injured were children aged 3 and 10.

Material updated at 13:52 Moscow time