An Airbus A330 operated by Turkish Airlines made an emergency landing after Russia’s capital city Moscow was hit by drone attacks.
The aircraft (registration TC-JNH) departed Istanbul International Airport on Wednesday at 2:00 AM local time, operating as flight TK419 to Moscow Vnukovo International Airport. The flight followed a rerouted path over Romania, Poland, and Belarus, avoiding Ukrainian airspace due to the ongoing war. However, just as the A330 entered Russian airspace, Ukraine launched drone strikes on Moscow.
Temporary suspension of flights
The largest drone attack to date on Moscow led to the temporary closure of all four Moscow airports, including Vnukovo International Airport, the intended destination of the A330. Airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions, located east of Moscow, were also affected. The attack caused fires, resulting in one fatality and three injuries. Due to the suspension of operations, the A330 was unable to land at Vnukovo International Airport.
Emergency situation
According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft made a turn west of Moscow. It entered a holding pattern near the borders of Latvia and Lithuania, circling multiple times before the decision was made to divert to Vilnius (Lithuania’s capital) for an unscheduled landing. While en route to the Lithuanian capital, the pilots declared an emergency due to a fuel shortage. Eventually, the A330 successfully made an emergency landing. The aircraft remained on the ground for three hours before returning to Istanbul instead of continuing to Moscow.
Another failed attempt
On Thursday afternoon, the same A330 attempted the same flight from Istanbul to Moscow again. However, Flightradar24 data shows that the aircraft returned to Istanbul shortly after takeoff. The reason for the aborted flight remains unclear.