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How flydubai Bypassed Russian Bureaucracy: Flight Through Uzbekistan
When a “carpet” storm in Moscow forced a flydubai flight to land in Ufa, the airline crafted an off‑beat solution: refuel in Uzbekistan and then continue to the capital, leaving passengers on a one‑and‑half‑day journey.
What happened to the Dubai‑to‑Moscow flight
On 13 October, flydubai flight FZ965 lifted off from Dubai bound for Moscow’s Vnukovo as scheduled. Shortly after crossing over Kazan the aircraft ran into a heavy rain system that Russians call a “carpet”. Controllers told the crew that proceeding to Moscow was no longer possible.
First diversion – Kazan, then Ufa
The pilots looped around a bit and elected an alternate airfield in Ufa. The plane sat there while Moscow was drenched. When the rain eased, the crew received clearance to keep going, but their duty day was already winding down.
Why couldn’t the passengers simply be moved by ground transport?
flydubai is a foreign carrier. Shifting passengers onto a domestic Russian flight would have required passport and customs checks – a near‑impossible task with the clock ticking. The usual workaround is a bus transfer, as was done with a VietJet flight, but in this case the road option would have taken far too long.
The unusual fix – Uzbekistan as a stopover
The airline’s team found a different route: after the mandatory 12‑hour crew rest, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 touched down in Uzbekistan. There the aircraft was refuelled, then it took off again for Moscow, landing on the evening of 14 October.
What this meant for the passengers
- Arrival in the capital was delayed by roughly a day and a half.
- The return flight FZ966 Moscow‑Dubai was cancelled.
- Had they been sent by train from Ufa, the journey would have exceeded 24 hours (Ufa‑Moscow rail travel takes more than 29 hours).
What does this mean for travelers?
The episode shows that when severe weather blocks Russian airspace, international airlines may resort to unconventional routes, even landing in neighboring states. For passengers it usually translates into longer delays, but sometimes a detour abroad is quicker than a long haul on the ground.
Practical tip
If your flight to Russia is diverted because of weather, ask the carrier about possible re‑routing options. A transfer through a bordering country can shave off idle time, though it will likely involve extra waiting at an airport.
Based on materials from: frequentflyers.ru.
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