Air limits: what compensation is due for the cancellation of 485 flights

Airlines are unlikely to compensate passengers on flights that were forced to cancel by Russian airports and airlines on July 5, 6 and partially on July 7, 2025, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe. This is due to the fact that the air collapse was not the fault of the carriers. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency, 485 flights were canceled for safety reasons, 88 left for alternate airfields, and another 1,9 thousand were delayed. About how passengers experienced this situation and what happened at airports is in the Izvestia article.

What is the current situation at airports

From July 5 to July 7, airlines canceled 485 flights for safety reasons, 88 left for alternate airfields, and 1,9 thousand flights were delayed for departure and arrival, Artem Korenyako, a representative of the Federal Air Transport Agency, said on the Telegram channel.

Airports have experienced a virtual collapse these days: restrictions on the departure and arrival of aircraft were introduced in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kirov, Yaroslavl, Tambov and Nizhny Novgorod.

At St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport, passengers were accommodated on the floor, mostly on their own belongings, as there were not enough seats in the waiting areas. Tourists have occupied airport cafes, restaurants and Duty-Free zones. But airport staff gave them chairs and soft mats. A similar situation was observed last weekend at Sheremetyevo Airport.

In Telegram channels, under messages about the delay and cancellation of flights to Pulkovo and Sheremetyevo, people complained about high food prices, lack of communication with airport staff and airline representatives.

"I haven't been able to get through to support for the second hour," one of the passengers wrote on social media. - There is a new departure time in the booking management, and there is a complete cancellation of departure on the online departure board."

Tatiana, a passenger on one of the flights to Sheremetyevo, whose flight was repeatedly postponed, said that only 700 rubles were allocated for food and water for passengers on delayed flights, which is not enough in conditions of high prices at the airport.

— We are dissatisfied with the lack of objective information and insane prices for everything. In such a situation, at least water and food should be provided at discounted prices, if not for free. And not with a 500% increase," passenger Alexander agreed.

Olga, who was waiting for a flight from Pulkovo to Minsk, complained:

— It feels like you've been gutted. It was hard, there were a lot of people, it was stuffy, the prices were horse-like, the conditions at the airport were bestial. Our flight to Minsk was not fed or even given water.

Passengers described the incident as an "apocalypse."

— People are sitting and lying everywhere. Everyone is exhausted, tired, angry. The staff is doing everything possible and impossible, but it doesn't help much," passenger Alyona wrote. — The queue at the ticket office in Pulkovo for the exchange or purchase of tickets is unrealistic. I asked the girls at the cash registers how much they were already worth. They said it was six o'clock.

The Directorate of Public Relations at Sheremetyevo International Airport told Izvestia that supervisors are providing assistance to passengers on Russian and foreign flights, the QR code "Find out your flight" was promptly launched on the airport screens to receive information about its status, mother and child rooms, children's areas, and passenger accommodation rooms are operating. There are free smoking rooms available in each terminal.

"Now the situation at the airport is steadily stabilizing. Flights on departure and arrival are serviced in the order of priority according to the daily plan," they added.

Sheremetyevo also reminded that passengers still need to be prepared for longer waits when servicing flights on departure and arrival.

At Pulkovo Airport, Izvestia was informed that since July 4, a total of 160 flights have been canceled and eight postponed to July 8.

As of 12 p.m. on July 7, 97 flights were delayed for two or more hours, and four flights are expected to return to St. Petersburg from alternate airfields, said Alexandra Sablina, head of the press service. She also clarified that 182 flights and more than 26 thousand passengers had been serviced for 12 hours.

"In total, it is planned to serve more than 86 thousand people today, which surpasses the 2024 Pulkovo Airport record in terms of the number of passengers served per day," Alexandra Sablina emphasized. — 235 flights and about 35 thousand passengers have been serviced for 14 hours.

What kind of compensation is due to passengers

After the collapse, 43 thousand forced ticket refunds were issued at airports over the weekend, 94 thousand people were accommodated in hotels, the number of vouchers provided for drinks was 199 thousand, and for meals was 155 thousand, the Federal Air Transport Agency reported.

On July 6, Rospotrebnadzor launched a consumer rights hotline for delayed cancellations and postponements of flights. They clarified that its specialists are ready to answer questions about ticket exchange, tell how to refund money and whether passengers are entitled to moral compensation from the carrier. Izvestia sent a request to the supervisory authority with a request to comment on the complaints and clarify how many of them were received.

The agency recalled that if the flight is delayed, the consumer has the right to cancel the flight and demand a full refund for the ticket.

"This rule applies even for non—refundable tickets," the supervisory authority said in a statement.

Also, they added, the passenger has the right to apply to the airline with a claim for damages incurred due to flight delays. For example, disrupted excursions, missed flights or trains.

"The passenger must attach copies of documents confirming the losses incurred to the claim against the carrier,— the Rospotrebnadzor reminded. — The claim is submitted to the carrier at the airport of the point of departure or at the airport of the destination. In the case of domestic air transportation, such a claim is made within six months from the date of the flight delay."

They also noted that the passenger has the right to collect a fine from the carrier for late delivery to the destination. For delayed flights, it amounts to 100 rubles for each hour of delay, but not more than 50% of the carriage fee, Rospotrebnadzor clarified. But the carrier also has the right to prove that the delay occurred due to force majeure circumstances, they added.

In case of flight delay, the passenger has the right to free baggage storage, provision of a mother and child room (for passengers with children under seven years old), soft drinks, two free calls or email messages, hot meals in case of flight delay of four hours or more, provision of a hotel and airport-hotel-airport transfer.

These services are provided regardless of the reason for the delay, lawyer Andrei Mishonov told Izvestia.

But, according to him, the Carpet plan that was in effect over the weekend is not formally considered grounds for a full refund for tickets, as it is classified as an emergency. However, it does not exempt airlines from the obligation to compensate passengers for inconveniences.

Andrey Mishonov stressed that if the flight is cancelled, the passenger also has the right to demand alternative transportation by the nearest possible aircraft and compensation for moral damage.

— It is almost impossible to recover losses from the airport as an infrastructure facility, since the contract of carriage was concluded with the airline, and not with the airport, — he noted. — The amount of monetary compensation depends on the specific circumstances: the costs incurred, the length of waiting, the presence of moral damage.

If there is documentary evidence and violations on the part of the carrier, amounts from 5 to 50 thousand rubles and above are often collected in judicial practice, the lawyer added.

But in order to receive any compensation, the carrier's fault must be present, the APK law firm clarified. If it does not exist, that is, the cancellation occurred for reasons beyond the control of the carrier, it will not be possible to hold the airline accountable, they added.

The company recalled that under Article 120 of the Russian Air Code (carrier's responsibility for delayed delivery of passengers, baggage or cargo), the threat from drones is recognized as force majeure. In this case, the carrier is exempt from paying compensation to passengers.