Twelve flights are experiencing delays at Ekaterinburg Airport.
In a series of events, the "Carpet" plan - a special operational measure designed to ensure flight safety in response to drone attacks and security threats - has caused significant disruptions to air travel in several Russian airports, including Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, and now, Koltsovo Airport in Yekaterinburg.
Yesterday, due to the implementation of the "Carpet" plan at Koltsovo Airport, hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled, with the disruptions mainly affecting flights to St. Petersburg. As of now, 12 flights have been delayed, two Aeroflot flights to Moscow have been delayed by 2 hours, and one flight from Koltsovo has been additionally canceled. To Kaliningrad, Pobeda flight has been delayed by 5 hours, while the flight from Koltsovo to St. Petersburg by "Russia" airlines has been delayed by 14 hours, and both Ural Airlines flight to Istanbul and Aeroflot flight have been delayed by 4 and 6 hours respectively.
Similar operational disruptions were seen at Sheremetyevo and other airports, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed during the implementation of the "Carpet" plan. Authorities attribute these interruptions mainly to drone threats and weather conditions such as strong winds.
At Pulkovo Airport, for instance, the plan led to more than 50 flight delays and temporary bans on accepting and releasing aircraft from around 23:15, with service personnel working intensively to manage the disruptions and provide water and food for waiting passengers.
The news agency RIA "Novyi День" is closely following the situation, with channels on Zen and YouTube. Representatives of airlines are working with passengers, and services provided by federal aviation rules are being offered at Koltsovo Airport to cater to the needs of passengers during these delays.
This escalating pattern of drone strike exchanges between Ukraine and Russia is raising concerns about the safety of civilian air traffic. The agency encourages anyone with news, photos, or videos related to this incident to contact them at +7 (901) 454-34-42.
In summary, the "Carpet" plan is a security measure to suspend or restrict flights amid drone attacks, causing hundreds of flight cancellations and delays across Russian airports. Airports under the plan operate in an intensified mode to manage passenger needs during delays. The situation is part of the escalating drone strike exchanges between Ukraine and Russia, affecting civilian air traffic safety.
The "Carpet" plan has caused not only flight disruptions due to security threats, but also delays and cancellations in travel lifestyle, particularly affecting flights to St. Petersburg and other destinations like Kaliningrad. Additionally, weather conditions such as strong winds are contributing to these operational challenges at various airports in Russia.
