Sochi Airport Grapples With Over 24-Hour Flight Delays After Flight Restrictions

Sochi Airport is struggling to restore its regular flight schedule following widespread flight restrictions imposed on Tuesday. As of midday Wednesday, approximately 80 flights faced delays, with some passengers enduring waits of over a day. The delays have particularly impacted Rossiya Airlines, with several of its incoming flights, including a service from Kazan originally scheduled to land on June 16, still en route. Other delayed arrivals include flights from Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Syktyvkar, and Nizhny Novgorod. Outgoing flights are also significantly affected, with some delays exceeding 24 hours. Notable delays include a Rossiya Airlines flight to Chelyabinsk delayed by 31 hours, a Nordwind flight to Syktyvkar delayed by 27 hours, a Rossiya flight to Nizhny Novgorod delayed by 26 hours, and a UTair flight to Moscow delayed by 24 hours. Another Rossiya flight to Kazan is delayed by 15 hours. International routes have largely been spared, though an Aeroflot flight to Istanbul has been delayed by nearly three hours. Airport officials report that operations are proceeding normally and no large crowds are present in the terminal. Some schedule recovery is expected after 17:00 local time, though isolated disruptions may continue into the evening.