Turkmenistan Airlines suspends Moscow flights over safety concerns

MOSCOW — Turkmenistan’s flagship carrier, Turkmenistan Airlines, announced Saturday it would extend its suspension of flights to Moscow until the end of October, citing safety concerns after an increase in drone attacks on the Russian capital.

The suspension of flights between the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat and Moscow would be in place until Oct. 28 “due to the situation in the Moscow air zone, and based on a risk assessment in order to ensure flight safety,” the airline said in a statement.

The suspension of flights, first announced on Wednesday, was initially planned until Aug. 22.

The airline's Saturday statement said that flights between Ashgabat and Moscow would instead fly to the city of Kazan, located, over 700 kilometers (435 miles) from Moscow.

A drone attacked a skyscraper in central Moscow early Tuesday for the second time in around 48 hours, damaging the building’s facade and further underscoring the Russian capital’s vulnerability. Russian authorities accused Ukraine of staging the assault.