Carpet plans and fuel costs drive up airfares

“Due to the threat of UAV attacks, the «Carpet» plan was declared at the airport,” — such messages have become commonplace for millions of Russians. And if earlier many worried about flight safety, now people are mostly annoyed by flight delays. By the way, we have already explained what passengers are entitled to if their flight is delayed or canceled. And what if the plane was in the air at that moment?

We explore what the crew does when the «Carpet» plan is declared, what losses airlines incur from this, and how it ultimately affects ordinary passengers.

Alternate Airport, Reserve Aircraft, and Hotel

The «Carpet» plan is a sudden, unplanned situation. The aircraft may be on the ground, taxiing, or in the air at that moment. The crew has clear instructions for such cases. First-class pilot and Airbus A-320 captain Andrey Litvinov provided more details.

“If the aircraft hasn«t taken off yet and was waiting for passenger boarding, it remains in place — takeoff is prohibited. And if the plane is already flying, it is directed to an alternate or nearest airport where landing is permitted, because landing at an airfield with a declared »Carpet« is not allowed,” a civil aviation pilot told MSK1.RU.

Because of this, the crew«s schedule is disrupted, the aircraft»s timetable is affected, and subsequent flights are delayed.

“The crew«s working hours increase, fuel consumption rises, and there are additional costs for servicing at another airport. If the crew»s allotted working time runs out, they need to rest for at least eight hours. Then passengers are transported on a reserve aircraft with a new crew, and the original aircraft remains idle while the first crew rests,” clarified Andrey Litvinov.

All delays entail additional expenses for the airline: it needs to pay for meals, hotels, and sometimes train tickets or transfers.

“After all, the passenger paid for the ticket and has the right to be delivered to the destination. The airline is not at fault in such cases, as it is acting according to safety rules, but it incurs significant expenses,” added the aviation expert.

“The Problem of Combating UAVs is a Serious Challenge”

The military says that authorities intend to solve the problem with drones, which cause airport closures.

“It was announced that a unified and effective air defense system would be built. The issue is that it needs to be developed; not just a plan is needed, but a set of measures,” shared Alexander Perendzhiev, chief military political scientist and associate professor at the Department of Political Analysis and Socio-Psychological Processes at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, with the MSK1.RU editorial board.

The military expert clarified that to protect our airspace, military-technical measures need to be carried out. Simply put, it is necessary to determine what specific protection means we will use, who will operate these systems, and how they will function.

“And judging by the fact that the range of issues is still large — from legislative to who will operate these systems on the ground — this is a serious challenge. A military school for these troops is also being prepared — officers will be trained,” he added.

In general, this is a matter of at least not one year, and airlines will have to continue operating under these conditions and bear huge expenses. And not only from «Carpet» plans.

“Only Special Aircraft Will Take to the Skies”

Airlines« expenses will also continue to rise due to fuel prices and sanctions pressure from Europe and the USA. And inflation hasn»t been canceled either.

“The amounts of expenses for airlines will be huge. If everything continues as it is now, the prospects are not encouraging. The fleet of available aircraft in Russia is shrinking, and it may soon run out altogether. Of course, we can produce our own, and we know how to do it, but without international cooperation, they become extremely expensive,” shared Oleg Buklemishev, director of the Center for Economic Policy Research at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University, with MSK1.RU.

Although Aeroflot expects to receive more than 100 new domestic MC-21 aircraft by 2030. But experts have concerns that this will be very difficult and labor-intensive.

“And the timelines for their appearance are unknown. Moreover, our sales market is small, and there is no foreign demand for our aircraft,” clarified Oleg Buklemishev.

MSK1.RU reader Victoria, who regularly flies Aeroflot from Moscow to St. Petersburg and back, reported that in 2025, air ticket prices have already increased by more than 7%.

Lately, many Russians are refusing to fly on planes not only because of high ticket prices but also due to concerns about the quality of the aircraft themselves. Earlier we wrote about why there have been many aviation incidents and whether it is risky to fly now.