St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport Has Temporarily Suspended All Flights – Here’s The Reason

Breaking news from St. Petersburg, Russia, where Pulkovo airport has temporarily suspended all flights until 12 o’clock local time.

The airport has not given any reason for this sudden shutdown, but information obtained by MandyNews.com suggests that a plan of special measures, known as “Carpet,” has been introduced due to the appearance of an unknown flying object in the area.

Reports indicate that fighter jets have been deployed and are currently patrolling the skies above the airport. Flights in the surrounding airspace have been advised to either land or withdraw immediately, and the airport remains closed until further notice.

According to the Russian news site Baza, the cause of the shutdown is an unidentified object in the airspace, and fighter jets have been dispatched to investigate. Baza also reports that a state of emergency called Kovjor has been declared in the area, and the airspace has been closed within a 200 square kilometer radius of St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region.

This news has caused concern among residents and travelers alike, as no further information has been released regarding the nature of the unidentified object or the potential threat it may pose.

The Russian state news agency Tass has reported that the airspace closure will remain in effect until 1:20 p.m. local time, adding to the growing sense of unease in the region.

The St. Petersburg regional air traffic center provided Fontanka news site (which has since switched to another service) with an unhelpful response regarding the reason for airspace restrictions, stating, “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. But no, I don’t know.”

According to Flightradar, several domestic flights heading towards St. Petersburg were forced to turn back.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was fully briefed on the situation but did not provide any further comment regarding the reasons for the suspension.

On February 28 at 11:32 AM, air traffic has resumed, and the previous airspace closure has been lifted.

At 11:56 AM on the same day, Peskov’s statement has been included.

As the situation continues to unfold, we will bring you the latest updates and information as it becomes available. Stay tuned to MANDY News for the latest developments on this breaking story out of St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport.