Russian Airport Drone Closures in 2025
Russian airports experienced 217 drone-related closures in 2025 — a record year that saw disruptions spread from southern regions to Moscow and St. Petersburg, with estimated airline losses reaching $240 million.
Context
Drone-related airport closures in Russia escalated dramatically through 2025, with 217 separate closure events recorded across the country's airport network. The closures were concentrated at airports in southern Russia and the Moscow region, driven by unauthorized drone activity that triggered standard aviation safety protocols requiring operations to halt until the airspace was verified clear.
The most significant single event occurred in February 2026 when all four Moscow-area airports — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky — were closed simultaneously for approximately 7 hours. This quad-shutdown affected the busiest aviation hub in Russia, stranding tens of thousands of passengers and creating a cascading wave of delays that took days to resolve across the domestic network.
By March 2026, drone-related closures had reached Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, indicating a geographic expansion of the disruption pattern. Industry estimates place total airline losses from these closures at approximately $240 million, accounting for direct costs (fuel, crew, passenger compensation) and indirect revenue losses from cancelled services and reduced schedule reliability.
Key Data Points
Sources
- Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) — Airport closure NOTAM records, 2025-2026
- FlightRadar24 — Russian airport operational status tracking, 2025
- Kommersant — "Moscow airports closed for 7 hours due to drone activity," February 2026
- Aviation industry analysts — Airline loss estimates compiled from carrier reports, 2025-2026
Cite this data:
This data is compiled from publicly available sources for informational purposes only. Always consult official aviation authorities for operational decisions.