Rzeszów, Poland: Poland temporarily suspended civilian flight operations at Lublin Airport and Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport on 16 September 2026, as Polish military aircraft were deployed in response to Russian attacks using jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles against western Ukraine. The airport disruption lasted about 40 minutes, while the wider Polish military operation continued for longer.
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) said flights at both airports were temporarily suspended while the military operation was under way at around 07:00 local time. Operations resumed about 40 minutes later. The Polish Armed Forces separately said military aircraft had been scrambled and that ground-based air-defence and radar-reconnaissance systems had been placed on heightened readiness.
The Polish Armed Forces said the operation was carried out in connection with “strikes carried out by the Russian Federation using jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles on the western territory of Ukraine”. The military added: “Ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness.” It said the measures were intended at “securing airspace and its protection especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions”.
The temporary suspension affected normal commercial operations at the two southeastern airports, with dozens of flights suspended. The disruption came as Russia carried out strikes against western Ukraine close to Poland’s border. Ukrainian authorities had issued air-raid alerts in Volyn Oblast, which borders Poland, from 06:46 to 07:16 local time on 16 September. Poland’s Government Security Centre also issued an alert for residents in the Lublin and Podkarpackie regions.
The Polish response was precautionary and linked to the military activity in the region; there was no report that either Lublin Airport or Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport was directly struck. The Rzeszów airport is particularly significant to regional aviation and Ukraine-related logistics, making any temporary suspension of its operations operationally important, although the 16 September disruption was brief.
As of the latest reporting available on 17 September 2026, the two airports had resumed operations. The latest reports also indicate that the Polish military continues to monitor developments along its eastern airspace as Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue.
