Russia will require to change hundreds of foreign-made civil aircraft in the coming years as its fleet of Western airplanes reaches completion of its life-span, alerted Sergei Chemezov, the head of state-owned defense corporation Rostec.At least 200 of the remaining Western aircrafts operated by Russian providers cut off from upkeep and spare parts due to wartime sanctions will require to be retired and changed with locally produced aircraft by 2030, Chemezov told press reporters at the yearly congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.The genuine number may be even higher, he said, noting that Rostec is just starting its talks with airline companies to examine the state of their fleets.Chemezovs remarks recommend that almost 30% of Russias Western-built traveler aircrafts might be grounded within the next 5 years.
Russias industrial fleet consists of around 700 Boeing and Airbus jets, which manage 90% of the nations air travel.Sanctions have actually already required airlines to retire 58 airplane, according to Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russias aviation authority Rosaviatsia.He said last week that the loss of airplanes was partly due to a spike in air travel occurrences following the introduction of Western restrictions.The independent Novaya Gazeta Europe news site taped 208 aviation events in Russia in the very first 11 months of 2024, putting 2024 on speed for a 25% boost over the previous year.
A minimum of 90 of these cases involved system failures like engine or landing equipment breakdowns.
Because the start of 2025, at least 10 Russian airplane have actually suffered in-flight breakdowns and provided call for help.
In between Dec.
1, 2024, and Jan.
20, 2025, 11 airplane experienced engine failures, consisting of eight Boeing and Airbus jets and three Russian-made Superjets.Industry insiders informed the United States -funded RFE/RL news outlet that Russias civil aviation market can not carry out routine upkeep checks on its Western-made aircrafts since the treatments require direct cooperation with makers, which have actually cut ties with Russian airlines.I dont have precise data on the lifespan of all Russian airplane, however 2025 will be the last year of legal operation for the majority of them, a Russian flight safety expert told RFE/RL, asking for privacy due to the level of sensitivity of the topic.The parts lack will even impact Russias domestically assembled Superjets, which rely on Western-made elements like engines, avionics, electrical systems, landing gear and fuel systems.
Russian airlines currently operate 150 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft.Russian authorities announced an ambitious plan to restore the countrys air travel industry in response to the Western sanctions enforced over the invasion of Ukraine.
By 2030, they intended to produce about 1,000 industrial aircraft, ramping up output to levels not seen since the Soviet age 120 planes each year by 2026 and more than 200 annually by 2028.
Under the plan, airline companies were expected to receive two import-substituted Sukhoi Superjets and 3 Tupolev Tu-214 jets in 2023, followed by 20 more Superjets, seven Tu-214s, six regional MC-21 airliners and 2 Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprops in 2024.
In truth, just 5 airplane 3 Tu-214s and two Il-96-300s have rolled off production lines in the previous three years, according to the Kommersant business daily.