Travelers across Russia are facing another bruising spell of disruption as Rossiya Airlines and UTair contend with a wave of cancellations and delays that has rippled through major hubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

A total of 26 flights operated by the two carriers have been canceled, alongside dozens more delayed departures and arrivals at Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo in Moscow and Pulkovo in St. Petersburg. The disruption has stranded passengers, snarled connections and deepened concern about the resilience of Russian air travel at the height of the winter season.

More News

Fresh Disruptions at Key Russian Hubs

The latest operational setbacks, reported on January 15, 2026, strike at the heart of Russia’s domestic network. Sheremetyevo International Airport and Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, as well as Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, have all confirmed a cluster of cancellations and delays concentrated on Rossiya Airlines and UTair schedules. While Russia’s aviation authorities have not attributed the disruption to a single cause, the knock-on impact on passengers has been immediate and severe.

At Sheremetyevo, one of Europe’s busiest airports and the primary base for the Aeroflot Group, Rossiya has scrapped four flights while also posting a lengthy list of delayed services. Vnukovo, which serves as an important base for UTair, has recorded multiple cancellations and a notable number of late departures. Pulkovo, the main gateway to St. Petersburg, is experiencing some of the heaviest disruption, with double-digit cancellations and dozens of flights running behind schedule.

Airport displays through Tuesday afternoon reflected a patchwork of revised departure times and canceled segments, leaving many passengers shuffling between check-in counters and service desks in search of information, rebooking options and basic assistance. With winter weather, airspace restrictions and operational constraints often converging at this time of year, the latest disruptions have amplified the challenges facing both airlines and travelers.

Where the Cancellations Are Hitting the Hardest

According to operational data reviewed by Russian travel and aviation outlets, Rossiya Airlines and UTair together have canceled 26 flights spanning Moscow and St. Petersburg, in addition to a significant number of delayed services. Sheremetyevo has registered four cancellations attributed to Rossiya, with around 18 flights delayed beyond their scheduled departure or arrival windows. Vnukovo, which handles substantial UTair and Rossiya traffic, has reported eight Rossiya cancellations and two UTair cancellations, alongside roughly 25 delayed flights on the two carriers combined.

Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, Rossiya’s home city, appears to be bearing the brunt of the current wave of disruption. The airport has logged 12 cancellations affecting Rossiya operations and more than 20 delays, according to airport and airline summaries. The figures underscore how pressure at a single hub can quickly cascade across the wider network, particularly when aircraft and crew rotations are tightly scheduled and spare capacity remains limited.

While the total of 26 canceled flights may seem modest when set against the hundreds of movements handled daily at these airports, the real impact is measured in missed connections, overnight stays, rebooked tickets and disrupted travel plans. Many of the affected flights serve secondary cities and regional destinations, which means fewer alternative options for travelers already in transit or planning onward connections.

Rossiya Airlines and UTair Under the Microscope

The cancellations and delays are drawing renewed scrutiny of Rossiya Airlines and UTair, two of Russia’s most prominent carriers and vital players in domestic connectivity. Rossiya, part of the Aeroflot Group, serves as a crucial bridge between major hubs such as Moscow and St. Petersburg and a wide network of regional destinations, as well as selected international routes. Its operations at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Pulkovo are heavily intertwined with those of Aeroflot itself.

UTair, meanwhile, is one of Russia’s largest regional airlines, with a traditional stronghold in Siberia and the country’s oil and gas regions. In recent years it has also maintained a notable presence at Vnukovo, connecting Moscow to mid-sized cities and remote centers that depend on air travel for reliable access. The airline has been in the headlines repeatedly over the past year for technical incidents and emergency landings, but it has stressed that passenger safety has not been compromised and that contingency procedures have worked as designed.

The latest wave of cancellations has intensified questions about how both airlines manage fleet maintenance, crew availability and schedule resilience amid a challenging environment. Western sanctions continue to complicate the sourcing of spare parts and technical support for Russian carriers, particularly those operating Western-built aircraft. Industry analysts point out that any disruption, whether triggered by weather, technical issues or airspace constraints, can take longer to resolve when spare aircraft and components are in short supply.

Passenger Frustration and On-the-Ground Conditions

For passengers traveling through Moscow and St. Petersburg this week, the operational issues are playing out in long lines, crowded departure halls and hours of uncertainty. Travelers at Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo described scenes of full departure lounges, limited seating and sporadic announcements regarding revised departure times. At Pulkovo, social media posts from stranded passengers recounted waits of several hours without clear guidance on rebooking or compensation.

Several passengers reported that Rossiya and UTair ground staff at certain airports struggled to keep up with the volume of queries, with some service desks reportedly overwhelmed during peak afternoon and evening travel periods. Although airlines say they are working to reroute affected passengers and, where necessary, arrange hotel stays, on-the-spot implementation appears uneven. Some passengers say they were instructed to contact call centers rather than being directly assisted at the airport, adding to confusion for those who lacked immediate internet or phone access.

Consumer groups in Russia have repeatedly criticized the handling of major disruption events, particularly in cases where passengers are left waiting for hours with limited food, water or information. While official complaints processes exist through airports, airlines and federal regulators, travelers often seek quicker resolution through onsite negotiations, social media pressure and, in some cases, civil claims for compensation and damages.

Wider Context of Strain in Russian Aviation

The latest cancellations and delays cannot be viewed in isolation. Russia’s aviation sector has endured an extended period of turbulence since 2022, marked by airspace closures, sanctions on aircraft and parts, and heightened security and operational risks linked to the war in Ukraine. That context has made it more difficult and expensive for carriers to maintain and expand their fleets, pressured staffing levels and forced frequent schedule adjustments to navigate new routing and safety constraints.

In 2025, multiple episodes of mass disruption swept across Russian airports. Drone incursions and airspace security scares prompted temporary shutdowns of major hubs in Moscow, resulting in hundreds of cancellations and hours-long delays for domestic and international carriers. On several occasions, Sheremetyevo and other airports were forced to suspend operations while air defense forces assessed potential threats, leaving flights in holding patterns or diverting them to alternate airports, including Pulkovo in St. Petersburg.

Technical incidents have added to the sense of fragility. UTair and other carriers have reported emergency landings resulting from equipment malfunctions, hydraulic system alerts or other in-flight issues. While aviation authorities emphasize that safety has been maintained and no major accidents have occurred in these recent cases, the spate of incidents has fueled concerns among some travelers about aging fleets, stretched maintenance resources and the difficulty of obtaining original spare parts for Western-built jets under sanctions.

Operational Pressures in Harsh Winter Conditions

Winter weather represents a perennial challenge for Russian aviation, but recent seasons have been particularly testing. Heavy snowfall, low visibility and changing wind conditions have repeatedly forced airports around Moscow and St. Petersburg to limit takeoffs and landings, extending departure queues and lengthening turnaround times. When the latest cancellations tied to Rossiya and UTair were reported, meteorological services had again warned of snowstorms and reduced visibility over parts of the capital region.

Even on days when conditions remain technically flyable, deicing operations, runway clearance and stricter separation procedures between aircraft can slow down the system. This is especially true at busy hubs such as Sheremetyevo, where a delay early in the day can trigger a chain reaction through the afternoon and evening schedules. Airlines with minimal slack in their fleets are particularly vulnerable because any prolonged turnaround or unexpected technical inspection can remove a needed aircraft from rotation.

In that context, the 26 canceled flights involving Rossiya and UTair may represent only the visible tip of a broader strain. Crew duty time limits, aircraft maintenance windows and gate availability can all force airlines to make tough choices once it becomes clear that a full day’s schedule cannot be completed as planned. Typically, carriers will prioritize routes with the highest load factors or critical connections, and cancel lightly booked or operationally complex flights, which can disproportionately affect regional travelers.

How Travelers Are Adapting and What to Expect Next

Russian travelers have become increasingly accustomed to planning around potential disruption, particularly when flying through Moscow. Many now build extra time into itineraries, avoid tight self-made connections and keep alternative plans in mind in case of schedule changes. Rail travel remains a popular contingency on high-demand corridors such as Moscow to St. Petersburg, where high-speed trains can sometimes offer a more predictable journey than air travel during periods of instability.

In response to the latest wave of cancellations and delays, travel agencies and online booking platforms in Russia have been advising clients to monitor their flight status frequently, consider rebooking to earlier departures where available, and keep all receipts for food, transport and hotels in case of subsequent claims. Some agencies also note that flexible tickets and travel insurance, which once seemed optional on short domestic hops, are now playing a larger role in mitigating financial losses when disruption occurs.

For Rossiya Airlines and UTair, restoring confidence will depend not only on clearing the immediate backlog but also on demonstrating greater schedule reliability as the winter season progresses. That may require further adjustments to flight frequencies, more conservative block times between key city pairs and, where possible, the deployment of backup capacity to absorb shocks when technical or weather issues arise.

Implications for Russia’s Domestic Connectivity

The concentration of disruptions at major hubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg has a cascading effect on the broader Russian transport network. Many communities far from the capital depend on Rossiya and UTair flights for essential links to medical care, education, business centers and government services. When these flights are canceled or significantly delayed, options to reroute via alternative carriers or airports can be limited, particularly in remote regions with sparse air service.

Industry observers warn that if recurrent disruption becomes entrenched, it could undermine the long-standing policy goal of strengthening Russia’s domestic connectivity and encouraging more internal tourism. Regional tourism boards have invested in promoting city breaks, nature retreats and cultural routes that rely on dependable flight schedules from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Irregular operations risk deterring potential visitors who may opt for rail or postpone trips altogether rather than risk being stranded at a hub airport.

For now, the 26 cancellations tied to Rossiya and UTair represent a sharp reminder of how quickly conditions can deteriorate for travelers in Russia’s busy skies. With winter weather still in full force, heightened security sensitivities and ongoing resource constraints across the aviation sector, passengers and airlines alike are likely to face further tests of resilience before the season is over.