Air Tanzania Suspends Flights to Russia Following Zelensky’s Airspace Warning

Sep. 4, 2026 N509FZ (CC BY-SA 4.0) Air Tanzania said Friday that it has temporarily suspended flights between the East African country’s capital and Moscow due to safety concerns after Ukraine warned that its nightly drone attacks had made Russian airspace dangerous for flying. “Safety considerations always take precedence over commercial ones,” Air Tanzania said in a statement, adding that the suspension followed a “routine risk assessment of the operating environment along the route.” The decision comes two months after Air Tanzania launched direct flights to Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport. Air Tanzania said it would provide affected passengers full refunds or free rebooking options. It later said that flights to and from Moscow would resume on Monday next week. Despite the flight suspension, the website for Vnukovo still lists one arrival and one departure flight from Air Tanzania on Saturday. Russia’s Transportation Ministry said Wednesday that civil aviation authorities were working with the military to prevent “any significant disruption” to domestic air travel following Ukraine’s airspace warning earlier in the week. President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian claim as “a manifestation of state terrorism” intended to disrupt potential peace talks, which he called “de facto frozen.” Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines said Wednesday that it had canceled some flights to Russia for “technical and operational” reasons but did not provide further information. Read more about: Africa , Airlines Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Gabonese Firm Supplied $1.5 Bln in Aircraft Parts to Russia in 2023 The firm, Ter Assala Parts, may be acting as a front company registered in another country that does business via Gabon. 2 Min read Russian Helicopter Looted at Kabul Airport – Airline Unidentified individuals looted the Mil Mi-8MTV helicopter two days after Kabul fell to the Taliban and the Afghan government fled the country. 3 Dead After Russian Military Transport Plane Prototype Crashes Near Moscow Russian investigators have launched a criminal investigation over a violation of safety measures. Russian Operatives Offered Money to Multiple Madagascar Presidential Candidates – BBC Russia is reportedly pushing to rekindle Cold War ties across African countries with untapped mineral wealth.