World · Europe · 3 hrs ago
Red Sea Airlines flight diverts to Helsinki after St Petersburg airport closes
A Red Sea Airlines flight from Hurghada to St Petersburg made an unscheduled landing in Helsinki overnight on October 17.
Pulkovo airport had temporarily stopped accepting and sending flights amid a drone threat in the region.
Finnish authorities allowed the plane to land, and it refuelled before continuing to St Petersburg.
The flight was among at least eight documented cases since the European Union barred Russian airlines from flying in EU airspace in February 2022 in which passenger planes bound for Russia landed in EU countries.
Those landings took place in Finland, Estonia and Poland, and seven were linked to Pulkovo closures during drone attacks.
The count is a documented minimum because there is no single public register of such landings.
Pulkovo’s restrictions also delayed at least 16 flights for more than two hours that night.
A Red Sea Airlines flight from Hurghada to St Petersburg made an unscheduled landing at Helsinki airport overnight on October 17.
The diversion followed restrictions at St Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport amid a drone threat.
Finnish border authorities allowed the aircraft to land, and it refuelled before continuing to Pulkovo.
The Insider reported that at least eight passenger planes bound for Russia have been diverted to EU airports since February 2022.
- Who
- Red Sea Airlines operated the flight from Hurghada to St Petersburg.
- What
- The flight made an unscheduled landing in Helsinki, refuelled and continued to Pulkovo.
- When
- Overnight on October 17, 2026.
- Where
- The aircraft diverted to Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland before continuing to St Petersburg.
- Why
- Pulkovo temporarily stopped accepting and sending flights amid a drone threat.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Pulkovo temporarily restricted flights amid a drone threat.
The Red Sea Airlines flight landed in Helsinki and refuelled.
The aircraft continued to Pulkovo and landed there at 8:17 Moscow time, according to Flightradar as cited by Novaya Gazeta.
- Airline
- Red Sea Airlines
- Route
- Hurghada to St Petersburg
- Diversion airport
- Helsinki-Vantaa, Finland
- Destination airport
- Pulkovo, St Petersburg
- Reported landing time in Pulkovo
- 8:17 Moscow time
- Minimum documented diversions since February 2022
- Eight passenger planes bound for Russia diverted to EU airports, according to The Insider
3 sources
Самолет из Египта сел в Хельсинки из-за закрытия Пулково. С 2022 года в ЕС перенаправили как минимум восемь лайнеров, летевших в Россию
Не сумевший сесть в Петербурге из-за плана «Ковер» пассажирский рейс с россиянами из Хургады приняла Финляндияnull — Новая Газета
Пассажиры рейса Хургада — Петербург оказались в ЕС из-за дронов
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Red Sea Airlines lento RFX321 Hurghadasta Pietariin laskeutui varakenttänä olleelle @HelsinkiAirport, Pietarin lentokentän ollessa tilapäisesti suljettu. Tankkauksen jälkeen lentokone pääsi jatkamaan matkaansa.