Aeroflot announced that service would resume on March 19, with several flights that had been canceled on March 18 due to dense fog. This update followed initial reports from TASS, which cited Aeroflot’s broad communications about the situation.
The airline indicated that some Sunday departures could proceed as weather conditions briefly improved, allowing operations to recover a portion of the disrupted schedule.
Aeroflot stated, because of the temporary improvement in weather, the company would operate a subset of routes from Sochi to accommodate waiting passengers and reduce the backlog created by the fog delays.
Earlier updates noted that Sochi airport had begun managing flights again after a period of cancellations. Flights were delayed because the fog persisted, but the airport has since received several arrivals. Aeroflot officials also confirmed that check-in procedures had resumed for flights that had been postponed due to weather issues.
Earlier statements from GK Aerodynamics, the airport operator, reported that around 40 flights had been affected by the fog, with many unable to land as visibility remained poor. The fog and the lack of clear skies prevented aircraft from safely taking off or landing during the night of March 19, resulting in only a small number of departures that night from the Sochi hub. A later update suggested that two of the 57 scheduled flights were successfully completed during that period.
Throughout the disruption, aviation authorities and airline officials emphasized that safety remained the priority, with operations resuming only as conditions permitted. The temporary lapse in clear weather led to a cautious ramp-up as meteorological conditions improved, allowing a careful return to partial schedules and the gradual restoration of full service as crews and ground facilities adjusted to the evolving weather patterns. Market observers noted that similar weather-driven interruptions have become more common in coastal regions during transitional seasons, underscoring the need for flexible scheduling and robust contingency plans.
In the broader context, representatives from Aeroflot and the Sochi airport operations team have been coordinating to manage passenger flow, rebookings, and necessary ground-handling arrangements. Travelers affected by the outages were advised to monitor official updates from the airline and airport, including notification of any further weather-related changes to the timetable, as the situation continued to evolve. Attribution: Reuters report and official airline communications (Sources: TASS, GK Aerodynamics statements).