How much is it costing Russia to close airports due to drone attacks? / 24 Channel Collage
In the first eight months of 2026, airports in Russia activated the "Kovyor" plan 2,860 times due to UAV attacks, which is 4.5 times more than last year. Due to the cancellation and delay of 24,000 flights, airlines’ losses reached 275 billion rubles.
According to Forbes, the number of civilian aircraft diverted to alternate airports in Russia has risen to 4,000–5,000 cases, compared with 1,174 the previous year. The total duration of the special restriction regime, which was implemented due to the threat posed by drones, increased 4.1-fold.
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What is known about the closure of Russian airports
The geographic scope of Russia’s airspace closures has expanded significantly, now covering the Urals and Western Siberia. In addition, due to the restrictions imposed during peak hours, hundreds of planes are forced to circle for hours in holding patterns or divert to other cities.
Airlines are suffering significant losses due to the forced downtime of aircraft and crews.
“The planes are grounded, the staff is idle, but we still have to pay for leases and salaries,”
The CEO of RunAvia stated that the direct costs for a single rerouted flight range from 1.1 to 3.4 million rubles. The bulk of these costs comes from additional fuel, services at alternative airports, and meals and hotel accommodations for passengers.
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According to an expert’s estimates, in 2026, airlines faced 13,000 delays and 11,000 complete flight cancellations. A single cancellation costs a carrier between 15 and 23 million rubles in lost revenue and compensation.
To minimize losses, Russian airlines have begun holding up departures at departure airports in advance or canceling them before takeoff. In particular, S7 Group announced that it is adapting its operational processes to work under such conditions.
At the same time, Aeroflot and the Russian Ministry of Transport are trying to downplay the scale of the problem. Ministry officials stated that airport closures account for only about 1% of the aviation industry’s total costs.
The financial stability of Russian carriers is partially supported by the so-called “fuel dampener” – a tax rebate from the state for every metric ton of jet fuel. These payments cover about one-third of the additional costs for jet fuel incurred during delays.
As a reminder, on October 24, Moscow’s airports were closed due to the threat of drone attacks At least 210 flights were delayed or canceled. The schedule was most affected at Sheremetyevo, while services on the Domodedovo website even stopped working.
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