Aviation crisis in Russia: due to sanctions, Russia asks Kazakhstan to operate domestic flights for it
17 October 2024 09:02
Russian officials are trying to get help from so-called “friendly” countries to organise domestic passenger air travel, as Russian airlines face a shortage of aircraft. This was reported by Russian media, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
According to Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, negotiations are underway with Kazakhstan to attract its airlines to operate domestic flights in Russia. Currently, only local airlines are allowed to carry out such flights in Russia.
Before the war, the Russian air fleet consisted of 850 aircraft, but by early 2023, their number had fallen to 736. According to consulting firm Oliver Wyman, sanctions banning the supply of Western aircraft and spare parts could halve the number of available aircraft by 2026. According to forecasts, starting in 2025, there will be an accelerated retirement of foreign-made aircraft due to the need for major repairs.
The Russian authorities planned to replace foreign aircraft with their own production by launching a large-scale programme for the development of the aviation industry. According to this programme, it was planned to produce 120 civilian aircraft per year by 2026, 200 by 2028, and more than 230 by 2030.
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Thus, last year, Russian airlines were to receive two import-substituted Sukhoi Superjets and three Tu-214 aircraft, and this year – another 20 aircraft of the first type, 7 of the second type, 6 regional aircraft MS-21 and two turboprops Il-114-300. In other words, it was planned to build 40 civilian aircraft in 2 years.
However, in fact, the Russian aviation industry was able to produce only three civilian aircraft: two Tu-214s and one Il-96-300. This forced the Russian government to cut back on its ambitious plans. Thus, in 2025, instead of the planned 82 aircraft, only 20 are expected to be produced. The plan for 2026 was reduced from 120 to 97 aircraft, and for 2027 – from 180 to 140.
In September, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said that the programme could be revised again next year. He stressed that more precise figures will be available after all certification procedures are completed, which will allow for a better understanding of which airlines will receive new aircraft in which years.
The aviation industry is one of the sectors in which Western countries have imposed tough sanctions on Russia. As a result, manufacturers have largely stopped servicing their aircraft and are not supplying parts and equipment for them. Russia, on the other hand, does not produce such equipment.
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