Vol à vide :Moscow and Pulkovo: mass cancellations and delays as drone limits hit on 31 October

On Saturday 31 October 2026, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Pulkovo piled up cancellations, delays and diversions after renewed airspace restrictions linked to a drone threat over the capital. Local reports (MSK1, Fontanka, MR7) say Rosaviatsia tightened ops around mid-morning: Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo first, then Domodedovo; Sheremetyevo briefly stopped handling flights before limits eased. Flights from St Petersburg held in the Moscow area waiting for landing clearance. This is a new daily wave for the Moscow–Pulkovo corridor — not a repeat of the 23–24 October Moscow cascade, the 25 October Russia roundup, or the separate Kazan night closure already covered for the same calendar day.

What travellers saw

Aviacionline and Russian boards put Aeroflot and Pobeda among the hardest hit. The overnight closure of 29–30 October already pushed about 27 diverted Moscow-bound flights into Pulkovo, which then dragged St Petersburg’s own schedule. On the 31st, Pulkovo still showed Moscow-bound holds and dozens of late arrivals on local tallies, with cancellations and multi-hour shifts on domestic and international sectors. The Gulf corridor was sensitive again: delays on Aeroflot SU540 and SU524 from Sheremetyevo and Pobeda DP991 from Vnukovo toward Al Maktoum, plus cancellation of flydubai FZ996 from Samara. Always re-check the carrier app and airport boards before leaving for the terminal — lifting a Rosaviatsia window does not clear the backlog.

If the schedule is critical

When the Moscow hubs close even for a few hours, connections across Kaliningrad, the Caucasus, Siberia and the Far East slip next. If you cannot wait for the recovery bank, a private jet or empty leg into an alternate field may be workable once slots reopen. Rahizi qualifies the brief and returns partner options.

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Facts from Aviacionline, MSK1 / Fontanka, MR7, Rosaviatsia-linked local coverage and Pulkovo / Moscow board reports for 29–31 October 2026. Always verify with your carrier.