All four of Moscow’s international airports have suspended flights amid a drone attack threat, with passengers being evacuated from Sheremetyevo terminals following an air raid alert.
Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports have halted all arrivals and departures, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has announced.
Sheremetyevo airport has confirmed that an evacuation is underway, with staff assisting passengers in reaching shelters, including escorting people off aircraft. Access to secure departure areas across all terminals has been temporarily restricted.
UPD: All four of Moscow’s international airports – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky – have resumed operations after temporary flight restrictions were lifted. Sheremetyevo has also canceled its air raid alert, allowing passengers to leave shelters and return to the terminals. Airport officials have warned that flight delays and schedule disruptions could persist as airlines work to restore normal operations.
The shutdown affected all four international airports serving the Russian capital, which together handle roughly 200,000 passengers and more than 1,000 aircraft arrivals and departures on a typical day.
Sheremetyevo, located northwest of Moscow, is Russia’s busiest airport and the main hub for Aeroflot. It handles around 111,000 passengers daily, serving destinations across the country as well as in Asia, the Middle East, and other regions.
Domodedovo, southeast of the capital, handles approximately 39,000 passengers daily, while Vnukovo, southwest of Moscow, serves around 49,000. Both operate domestic and international services, including flights to Türkiye, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Zhukovsky, the smallest of the four airports, is located southeast of Moscow near the city of the same name. It handles approximately 4,000 passengers daily, primarily on routes connecting Russia with neighboring countries and other international destinations.
The airports have urged passengers to follow official announcements and check flight information directly with their airlines, as schedules remain subject to change.
Moscow’s three largest airports – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo – handled a combined 40.4 million passengers in the first seven months of 2026, down 3.5% from the same period last year, according to Rosaviatsia figures analyzed by Interfax. Domodedovo recorded the steepest decline, with passenger traffic falling 13.2% to 6.9 million. Vnukovo saw a 1.4% drop to just over 9 million passengers, while Sheremetyevo, the capital’s busiest airport, reported a 1% decline to 24.5 million.
Russian air defenses shot down 155 Ukrainian drones over Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, according to Russian authorities. Earlier on Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that 19 of the UAVs had been intercepted on approach to the capital.
Moscow-bound flights have been diverted to other airports, including Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, which confirmed it was receiving aircraft originally destined for the Russian capital.