Chkalov Airport is the international airport of Nizhny Novgorod and the main air gateway of the capital of the Volga Federal District. It is named after the test pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov, whose biography is tied to the Nizhny Novgorod area.
Operations During Air Threats
In 2026, the airport repeatedly introduced temporary restrictions on accepting and dispatching aircraft in connection with the drone-hazard alert declared over Nizhny Novgorod Region. Rosaviatsiya reported that restrictions were introduced to ensure flight safety; during the restricted periods, flights were operated by arrangement with the authorized agencies.[1]
On the night of September 10–11, 2026, in connection with a drone attack on Nizhny Novgorod Region, the drone-hazard alert was in effect from 10:21 p.m. to 6:25 a.m. The airport's operations were restricted from about 11:00 p.m.; from 4:22 a.m. the airport switched to accepting and dispatching flights by arrangement with the authorized agencies, and at around 6:30 a.m. the restrictions were lifted completely.[2]
On the night of July 2, 2026, the airport was closed from 3:00 a.m. due to the threat of an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles. The airport's press office reported that airline and airport representatives continued to work with passengers; free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour first-aid station, a mother-and-child room, charging stations, and drinking fountains were available in the terminal building.[3]
On July 6, 2026, the airport resumed accepting and dispatching aircraft after restrictions introduced earlier that morning. Passengers were asked to monitor flight status via the public address system, the online board, and airline websites.[4]
On August 11, 2026, the airport neither received nor dispatched aircraft from 5:25 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. By 7:40 a.m., delays of both arriving and departing flights were recorded; passengers were provided with soft drinks, drinking fountains, and access to the mother-and-child room. Operations resumed after the restrictions were lifted.[2]
Role as an Alternate Airfield
During periods when Moscow airports were closed, Chkalov Airport in Nizhny Novgorod received aircraft as an alternate airfield. In particular, within a single week the airport received 16 Moscow-bound flights as well as eight flights en route to Moscow.[5] In the summer of 2026, the airport served more than 400,000 passengers.[5]
Oversight and Infrastructure
The airport's compliance with passenger rights during flight delays is overseen by the transport prosecutor's office.[5] In the event of delays, passengers are advised to check flight status via the airport's online board and airline websites.[1]
Links
- Official website (archive) (vremyan.ru)
Chronicle of events
Details of each event are in its own article; here are the dates and the gist.
Sources
- NIA Nizhny Novgorod — Nizhny Novgorod's Chkalov Airport operates by agreement, June 20, Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
- Zhivyom v Nizhnem — Nizhny Novgorod's Chkalov Airport has resumed receiving and dispatching aircraft — Zhivem v Nizhnem (archive)
- V gorode N — Nizhny Novgorod Airport closed on July 2 due to the threat of a UAV attack (archive)
- Vremya N — Chkalov Airport has resumed receiving and dispatching aircraft (archive)
- Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — Chkalov Airport (archive)