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.
