The disruption of air traffic across multiple Russian airports on July 5-6 could result in airline losses totaling 20 billion rubles, according to industry experts and airline sources who spoke with Kommersant.
Initial assessments indicate that carriers stand to lose between 15 and 23 million rubles per canceled flight involving a Boeing 737-800—one of Russia's most widely used aircraft models, configured with 158 seats in a two-class layout. These losses account for expenses such as airport fees (based on average rates), crew and fuel costs, as well as foregone ticket revenue.
Based on publicly available data, flight cancellations on the first day alone cost airlines an estimated 3.9 to 5.9 billion rubles. Diverting a single aircraft to an alternate airfield for approximately four hours adds another 1.5-2 million rubles in expenses.
Official figures from the Transport Ministry show that over 250 flights were canceled at Sheremetyevo, Pulkovo, and Strigino (Nizhny Novgorod) airports on July 5, with more than 270 others delayed. No official estimates have been released for other airports that also faced temporary flight restrictions during this period.