Passengers stranded in Finland after flight from Serbia to St. Petersburg diverted

A flight from Belgrade to St. Petersburg was forced to make an emergency landing at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport after St. Petersburg’s airport closed, leaving 128 passengers stranded in Finland, Yle reports. Air Serbia has dispatched a replacement aircraft to continue the journey, with departure expected in the evening.

The original flight landed at Helsinki-Vantaa early Saturday after St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport was closed due to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian targets. While one Serbian aircraft refueled and continued its journey, the second developed an unexpected technical issue during departure preparations, preventing takeoff.

Finavia, Finland’s airport operator, confirmed the fault was not an emergency but required grounding the plane. “Our goal is to get the passengers out of Finland,” said Jukka-Pekka Lumilahti of the Finnish Border Guard’s Gulf of Finland district. The replacement flight is scheduled to depart around 6 p.m. local time, though it remains unclear whether it will return to Serbia or proceed to St. Petersburg, where airspace is now open.

The 128 stranded passengers—including children and mostly Serbian or Russian nationals—are waiting in a separate terminal area. Authorities describe the mood as calm, with social and crisis support available. Food and beverages have been provided, with the airline responsible for passenger care.

St. Petersburg’s airport closures follow Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian oil ports in the Gulf of Finland, disrupting regional air traffic. Finland has reported degraded air quality in South Karelia due to fires at targeted facilities, while the Finnish Defence Forces have heightened surveillance of the country’s territorial integrity.