St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport was forced to suspend flights for more than six hours on Sunday, October 18, as a major overnight drone attack triggered emergency airspace restrictions, leaving dozens of flights cancelled or delayed and passengers moved into shelters.

By early afternoon, the airport’s departure board showed 29 cancelled flights, while at least 41 departures were delayed by more than two hours. Another 13 incoming aircraft had been diverted to alternative airports during the shutdown.

Pulkovo resumed operations shortly before 10 a.m. Moscow time, but airlines continued working through the backlog as the airport warned that restoring normal schedules could take up to 24 hours.

Pulkovo Airport Suspends Flights During Drone Attack

Temporary flight restrictions were introduced during the early hours of Sunday as Russian authorities reported a large-scale drone attack targeting St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region.

The airport initially stopped accepting and dispatching aircraft shortly after 2 a.m. Passengers and airport employees were subsequently directed to designated shelters while the security alert remained active.

Operations began resuming on a restricted basis after 9 a.m., with flights permitted only following coordination with the relevant authorities. The remaining restrictions were lifted at approximately 10 a.m.

According to Russian authorities, 135 drones were intercepted over the Leningrad region overnight. The figure is an official Russian claim that could not be independently verified.

Authorities also reported damage to infrastructure in St. Petersburg and surrounding areas, including fires at industrial facilities. The airport operator said Pulkovo’s own infrastructure had not been damaged.

29 Flights Cancelled and 13 Aircraft Diverted

The shutdown caused substantial disruption to domestic and international flights serving St. Petersburg, one of Russia’s largest aviation hubs.

At 11 a.m., 26 departures had been cancelled and 52 flights were delayed by more than two hours, according to airport information reported by local news outlet Fontanka.

By 1 p.m., the number of cancelled departures had increased to 29, while 24 arriving flights had also been cancelled. At least 50 inbound flights were running more than two hours late.

Meanwhile, the airport operator reported 13 aircraft diverted to alternative airports during the restrictions. Seven of those aircraft had not yet returned to Pulkovo by early afternoon.

Services to Russian destinations including Moscow, Sochi, Kaliningrad and Tyumen were among those affected. International routes to holiday destinations such as Antalya and Hurghada also appeared on delayed-flight lists during the morning.

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Pulkovo Reopens but Flight Delays Continue

Following the removal of restrictions, Pulkovo Airport began processing delayed arrivals and departures while airlines reorganised their schedules.

By 1 p.m., the airport had handled more than 55 flights and approximately 7,000 passengers since operations resumed, according to the airport operator.

Staff from airlines and ground handling companies were working to restore normal services. Passengers waiting for delayed flights were provided with additional facilities and refreshments, including access to a designated waiting area.

The airport expected flight schedules to recover within approximately 24 hours, although individual services could remain disrupted depending on aircraft availability and airline operating arrangements.

The October 18 shutdown follows a series of drone-related airspace restrictions affecting Russian airports in recent weeks. Moscow’s four main airports were temporarily closed during a separate attack on October 15–16, causing more than 200 reported flight cancellations.

Passengers travelling through Pulkovo should check their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport. Although the airport has reopened, cancellations and lengthy delays may continue while the backlog is cleared.