Russia’s Aeroflot cancels dozens of flights after information failure

Russian airline Aeroflot cancelled dozens of flights on Monday after what it called a failure in its information systems.

The national carrier did not provide further details about the cause of the problem or how long it would take to resolve.

Since Russia launched the war in Ukraine in February 2022, travellers in Russia have become accustomed to flight disruptions. However, those delays have usually been caused by temporary airport closures after drone attacks.

Aeroflot said that “specialists are currently working to minimize the impact on the flight schedule and to restore normal service operations”.

On Telegram, it listed more than 40 cancelled flights to destinations across Russia, as well as to the Belarusian capital Minsk and the Armenian capital Yerevan.

Aeroflot urged passengers whose flights from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport had been cancelled to retrieve their checked-in luggage and leave.

News outlet Baza reported scenes of chaos at the airport, with logjams forming as passengers queued just to get out.

Aeroflot, which despite sanctions imposed on Russia for its war in Ukraine that have drastically limited travel and routes, remains among the top 20 airlines worldwide by passenger numbers.

In 2024, passenger traffic of the Aeroflot Group reached 55.3 million passengers, according to a statement on the airline’s website.

Source: Reuters