Sanctions paralyze Russian aviation: Only one plane built in a year
Photo: Sanctions have halted Russia's aviation industry (Getty Images)
Russian aircraft manufacturers have delivered only one of the 15 planned commercial planes this year. Sanctions targeting foreign components are delaying production, while high interest rates are limiting investment, Reuters reports.
According to the agency, since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, Western sanctions have blocked access to foreign aircraft and spare parts.
With a fleet of over 700 aircraft, dominated by Airbus and Boeing models, Russian airlines are now forced to source critical components through complex and indirect import routes.
"There is no component base, no technology, no production facilities, no engineers. To create all this from scratch takes years, if not decades," said one source within the Russian aviation industry.
Recent serious incidents highlight the urgent need to maintain the condition of the Russian fleet. In late July, an An-24 aircraft built in 1976 crashed in Russia’s Far East. Just days later, national carrier Aeroflot suspended dozens of flights following a major cyberattack.
According to Reuters, the aviation sector's struggle to achieve self-sufficiency is part of a broader industrial slowdown.
Based on the Purchasing Managers’ Index data, Russian industrial output declined in July at the fastest rate since March 2022, with the overall growth in the sector continuing to decelerate.
High interest rates have contributed to a drop in car production, bankruptcies in the coal sector, a slowdown in the export of goods such as metals and petroleum products, and missed aircraft production targets - factors that officials and businesses say are dragging down economic growth.
Russia purchases spare parts for Boeing and Airbus aircraft
As previously reported, following the introduction of Western sanctions, Russia managed to acquire nearly $190 million worth of spare parts for Boeing and Airbus planes. Most of these were purchased from Türkiye, the UAE, and China.
The leading supplier turned out to be the Dubai-based company Ats Heavy Equipment & Machinery, which made over 700 shipments to Russia in just over a year.
Most of the spare parts ended up with the Aeroflot Group, which includes not only Aeroflot itself but also the airlines Rossiya and Pobeda.
