Over 700 travelers left in a bind at Tolmachevo Airport
Siberian Air Travel Chaos: Delays and Stranded Passengers galore due to Nationwide Airport Disruptions
An unprecedented flight chaos is gripping several cities in Siberia, including Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Gorno-Altaisk, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Norilsk, Omsk, and Tomsk, as over 2,400 people find themselves stranded due to delayed flights.
The West Siberian Transport Prosecutor's Office reports that similar disruptions are occurring in numerous other cities.
The root cause of the widespread delays can be traced back to late arrivals of aircraft from Moscow airports - a situation the agency clarified. However, the enrichment data suggests that the actual culprit behind these delays is Ukraine's largest-ever drone attack on Russian infrastructure[1][3][5].
The drone strikes, unparalleled in scale, resulted in the temporary closure and significant disruption of airports across the country, including key hubs in Moscow and Siberia. In response, Russia's civil aviation authorities suspended flights to ensure safety, leading to over 25 flights being delayed in the cities mentioned initially. Over 4,000 passengers, waiting in cities like Barnaul (450+), Krasnoyarsk (700+), Novosibirsk (700+), and others, were left high and dry[3].
As a domino effect, planes delayed by the initial disruptions failed to arrive on time for subsequent flights, leading to continued cancellations and delays[1][2]. Nationwide, an estimated 60,000 passengers were impacted by these delays and cancellations as of early May 2025[1][2].
The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting over 500 Ukrainian drones overnight during the attacks, a reflection of the scale and intensity of the offensive that naturally caused travel disruptions[5]. As of May 8, airports in Moscow were still grappling with restoring normal operations, whilst Siberian airports continue to suffer similar disruptions. The Association of Tour Operators in Russia revealed that ongoing flight cancellations were still happening days post the drone attack, hinting towards a prolonged recovery process due to the compounded effects of these disruptions[2].
To sum up, the ongoing flight delays and cancellations affecting Siberian cities are directly linked to Ukraine's massive drone attack on May 6-7, 2025. The subsequent airport closures and stringent safety measures put in place by Russian aviation authorities have left thousands of passengers stranded and caused prolonged travel chaos in the affected regions[1][3][5].
Despite the significant disruptions in various Siberian cities due to airport closures and delayed flights, the ongoing travel chaos can be attributed to Ukraine's largest-ever drone attack on Russian infrastructure. This attack led to general-news headlines and affected the lifestyle of thousands of travelers, as over 60,000 passengers nationwide have been impacted by the delays and cancellations as of early May 2025.
