Russian holidaymakers flying home from Egypt with Nesma Airlines were stranded at an airport in Yekaterinburg after their Moscow-bound flight was diverted and subsequently cancelled.
The flight departed Sharm el-Sheikh on the evening of August 26 heading for Moscow Vnukovo Airport, but was forced to land at Koltsovo Airport in Yekaterinburg instead. Passengers reported that they were kept inside the aircraft cabin until 10:00 AM local time the following morning.
According to the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti, representatives from Nesma Airlines initially told passengers that flight restrictions at Vnukovo Airport remained in effect. Airline staff later stated that the departure was delayed because of a queue of airliners at Koltsovo Airport.
After seven hours spent inside the aircraft following landing, passengers were disembarked and handed their luggage. Flight attendants announced to the cabin that the flight crew had reached the maximum limit of their legally allowed working hours.
Airline cancels flight and declines documents
Nesma Airlines subsequently confirmed that it would not operate a replacement flight to Moscow. Representatives instructed the stranded tourists to purchase new tickets at their own expense or arrange alternative transportation to the capital.
Passengers said airline staff failed to provide official documentation confirming the refusal of carriage. The situation led travelers to call the police to the airline's office at the airport to report the refusal.
One family travelling with two young children said the earliest reasonably priced replacement tickets available to Moscow were for September 3, asking how they were expected to remain in Yekaterinburg until then.
Carrier routes and previous regional delays
Nesma Airlines is a commercial carrier operating scheduled and charter flights between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and international destinations. Sharm el-Sheikh, located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula along the Red Sea, is a major resort destination for international tourists.
Yekaterinburg is a major industrial and cultural centre situated in the Ural Mountains region of Russia. Its primary aviation facility, Koltsovo Airport, handles domestic and international traffic, while Moscow Vnukovo Airport is one of the main international gateways serving the Russian capital.
The incident follows a similar event where Russian passengers travelling on a flight from Hurghada to Moscow were forced to wait inside a plane for six hours after an emergency landing in the city of Chelyabinsk.
