Moscow airports paralyzed by drone threats; Air Cairo flight delayed 40+ hours

Russian airports across multiple cities experienced widespread disruptions on the night of October 15–16, 2026, due to air defense measures triggered by unmanned aerial vehicle threats. In Moscow, the four major airports—Shereметьevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—closed simultaneously for between 5.5 and 7 hours. Official reports indicate more than 200 flights were delayed or cancelled in a single night, with closure durations increasing throughout October: the four Moscow airports accumulated 101 hours of closures in the first 14 days of the month, compared to 46 hours for all of September.

Air Cairo flight SM788 from Moscow to Hurghada became emblematic of the cascading disruptions. Scheduled to depart October 16 at 01:45 Moscow time, the aircraft was diverted to Samara due to airspace restrictions. Passengers experienced repeated delays as departure times were rescheduled multiple times. When boarding finally occurred, a flight attendant lost consciousness and required emergency medical transport, prompting airline officials to announce crew illness and a fresh cancellation. Because Air Cairo lacks spare crew in Russia, the flight was postponed to October 18 at 08:00. By October 17 at 20:30, the flight had been delayed more than 40 hours.

Passengers reported inadequate meal allowances, lack of hotel accommodation at airline expense, and minimal communication from Air Cairo throughout the ordeal. Some passengers lost consciousness during the wait; others described chaos and confrontations. The tour operator Pegas, through which many passengers had booked, reportedly declined refunds and directed customers to pursue legal action. Eventually, Shereметьevo airport arranged hotel placement with shuttle service for the stranded travelers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on September 1, 2026, that Russian airspace was becoming unsafe due to Ukrainian drone operations. On September 2, Kyiv submitted a formal notice to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). According to journalist Simon Schuster of The Atlantic (October 15), Ukraine's campaign to paralyze Russian airport operations was "just beginning," though Zelensky had not yet approved the most aggressive tactics initially planned. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that air defense forces shot down 94 Ukrainian drones targeting the capital on the night of October 15–16. St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported four drones downed over his region.

Air defense officials invoke "Kovyor" (literally "carpet") protocol, which orders all aircraft in a designated airspace to immediately land or exit when military threats are detected—including unmanned aircraft. Aviation expert Alexander Lanetsky told DW that Ukrainian military capabilities exceed those of Houthi forces that have disrupted Saudi air operations, suggesting potential for sustained airport paralysis. Military analyst Yan Matveev assessed that Russian air defenses cannot fully prevent drone incursions and that Ukraine possesses sufficient drone production (tens to hundreds of combat drones daily) to continue such operations. He indicated that any additional Russian air defense reserves would have already been deployed.