MOSCOW (BN24) — Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot canceled more than 40 flights on Monday following what it described as a major failure in its information systems, leading to widespread disruption and passenger chaos at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
The carrier acknowledged the issue in a brief statement but did not elaborate on the cause or offer a timeline for resolving the outage. “Specialists are currently working to minimize the impact on the flight schedule and to restore normal service operations,” Aeroflot said.
The cancellations affected domestic routes across Russia as well as international flights to the Belarusian capital, Minsk, and Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. Passengers whose flights were canceled were instructed to collect their checked-in luggage and exit the terminal.
Scenes of confusion and frustration played out at Sheremetyevo Airport, with Russian news outlet Baza reporting long lines and significant congestion as stranded passengers attempted to leave the facility.
While Aeroflot has faced recurring disruptions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—primarily due to drone attacks triggering temporary airport closures—Monday’s incident appears to stem from a technical failure within the airline’s internal systems.
Despite Western sanctions that have sharply curtailed international routes and aircraft part supplies, Aeroflot remains one of the world’s largest airlines by passenger volume. In 2024, the Aeroflot Group reported a total passenger traffic of 55.3 million, according to figures published on its official website.
Reuters
