Pegasus turns planes around midflight, cancels Russia flights after Zelenskyy warning
Turkey’s largest private airline, Pegasus, turned back several Moscow-bound flights overnight after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned about closing Russian airspace, The Moscow Times reported on Sept. 2.
Pegasus, Turkey's leading private airline, halted numerous flights to Moscow overnight following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warning about the safety of Russian airspace, The Moscow Times reported on September 2. Flights such as PC1456 from Bodrum to Moscow and PC1576 from Antalya to Moscow were forced to return to their departure airports.
The airline subsequently canceled dozens of routes from Istanbul to Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as flights from Antalya, Izmir, and Dalaman to various Russian cities. Return flights from Russia were also canceled.
A Pegasus spokesperson informed passengers on one of the canceled flights that Turkish authorities had prohibited departures, and the airline was uncertain about future operations. In response, Pegasus ticket offices in Russia announced their inability to provide information about upcoming flights, as they were unaware if the airline would continue to operate to Moscow.
Overnight, approximately 80 flights at Moscow airports were canceled or delayed due to the threat of drones, impacting 40 flights at Sheremetyevo, 20 at Domodedovo, and 17 at Vnukovo. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that 130 Ukrainian drones had been shot down across 11 Russian regions, including the Moscow region and annexed Crimea, overnight.
Zelenskyy had earlier warned that Russian airspace was becoming increasingly dangerous for airlines, insurers, and other participants in international air travel. He stated that the skies over Russia would gradually close due to the ongoing war initiated by Russia. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine sought to avoid civilian casualties and was warning other nations of the risks associated with flying over Russian territory.
In response, Russia claimed that its armed forces had been instructed to prepare and execute large-scale strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Ukraine responded to Russia's remarks following Zelenskyy's warning about Russian airspace, while the stock market reacted immediately. Following Zelenskyy's warning, Aeroflot shares plummeted on the same day.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
