The airport may halt arrivals and departures for several hours, then lift the restriction. For passengers, it looks like this: the departure time on the board changes, then changes again, and it's unclear what to demand at any given moment.
Let's break down the practical side—what the rules say, where to check the actual status, and how to get into the city if the evening turns into night. We're not discussing the reasons for the restrictions here: that's not our topic, and it doesn't affect your rights.
Where to check the status—and why not in an aggregator
The fastest and most accurate source is the airport's online departures board: svo.aero for Sheremetyevo, dme.ru for Domodedovo, vnukovo.ru for Vnukovo. It updates before aggregator apps and shows the actual flight status rather than the schedule.
Check the airline's notifications right now—make sure the booking includes a valid phone number and email address, as that's where any schedule changes will be sent, and that's where most people end up wasting time.
The countdown starts from the time on the ticket.
This is the main thing to remember, and it's exactly where passengers lose out.
The waiting period is calculated from the departure time stated on the ticket, not from any newly announced time. The flight was scheduled for 14:00 and was delayed four times—your clock starts at 14:00.
If the plane is diverted to an alternate airport, the countdown begins from the time of arrival there. Passengers have exactly the same rights at the alternate airport.
What they are required to provide and at what time
All of the above is provided at no extra charge — it's a separate rule.
After two hours, drink water, no later than one hour after those two hours have passed.
After 4 hours — hot meals and drinks, no later than two hours. After that, they must feed you again: every six hours during the day and every eight at night.
After 8 hours in the daytime and 6 hours at night — hotel stay, plus round-trip transportation to and from it. Daytime is considered from 6:01 AM to 9:59 PM, nighttime from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
Plus a mother and baby room if the child is under seven years old, and luggage storage.
Day or night is determined by the departure time on the ticket and is not recalculated if the flight is moved from evening to morning. The departure was at 23:30 — you have a night count, and the hotel is provided after just six hours.
Деньги
The late fee is 100 ₽ per hour, but no more than half the ticket price. The carrier does not pay it if they can prove force majeure, the elimination of a fault threatening life or health, or other circumstances beyond their control. They must prove it, not you.
Losses—separately and in full, in addition to the fine: the forfeited reservation, the missed connection, the rebooked ticket. Collect receipts at the time of purchase.
Cancel and reclaim everything. A delay in departure is grounds for a forced refusal of transport, and in such cases the freight charge is fully refunded regardless of the fare, including non-refundable tickets.
If a package tour has been purchased
Tourism activities in this area are governed by the Tourism Act. Under the Act, significant changes in circumstances—such as alterations to travel dates or a deterioration in the travel conditions specified in the contract—are considered grounds for requesting a modification or termination of the agreement.
A request is submitted in writing to the tour operator, not verbally to the agency manager. And you can demand not just a refund: changing dates or departing from a different airport is often more advantageous in practice, especially when the hotel has already been paid for.
Moscow Specifics: How to Get Out of the City
If the flight has been moved to the morning and you don't want to sit in the terminal, getting to the city is a separate task, and it's solved differently depending on the hour.
Aeroexpress trains and buses do not run 24/7. What operates from Sheremetyevo and at what hours is detailed in the breakdown of the journey to the city center.
After the metro closes, night buses come to the rescue: routes and schedules are collected here.
⚠️ When traveling to the city, keep two things in mind. First: if a hotel is due to you according to regulations, the carrier is obligated to provide it. If you arrange your own accommodation, you effectively forfeit this right. Second: keep your boarding pass. It proves you were at the airport.
Short action plan
Record the delay — screenshot of the scoreboard with the time.
Count the hours from the ticket, not from the new announcement.
Ask the airline representative for help: it's their responsibility, not the airport's.
Demand a written reason — the penalty depends on the wording.
Keep receipts for everything you had to spend money on.
Photo: Dmitry A. Mottl · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons, cropped. Rules and articles of the code last checked September 2, 2026.
