Undermined by international sanctions hampering the delivery of spare parts, Russian airlines have asked authorities to extend the life of their planes, raising risks to flight safety.
A director of Angara Airlines, an airline based in Siberia, Sergei Zorin, asked on Wednesday to expand “the operation of the Antonov An-24 and An-26 (medium-haul)”, during a round table organized in the upper house of Parliament.
According to him, currently about 150 Russian-made aircraft carry out regional flights in the country. Among them, “from 95 to 98 are the An-24 and An-26, manufactured since 1962 and with an average age of 50 years,” he presented, quoted by the Interfax agency. However, “a quarter” of these Antonovs will no longer be able to fly “from 2028,” he added, a worrying prospect for this immense country where aviation is vital.
Lack of repairs, “cannibalization” of aircraft
President Vladimir Putin boasts that his economy has withstood sanctions adopted by the West to punish the February 2022 attack in Ukraine, but companies face many obstacles in acquiring parts and software.
Almost two years after the establishment of sanctions, Sergei Zorin on Wednesday listed the main problems: lack of spare parts – in particular engines and computer systems – and high maintenance costs. His counterpart Sergei Kroupnov, from IrAero, another Siberian airline, deplored a domestic industry that is too slow, unable to meet the demand of companies that must repair their old planes.
And he also added, alarmist: “In 2025, there will come a time when we simply will not have enough Sukhoi Superjet aircraft,” the only approved post-Soviet model, which has already suffered multiple breakdowns and accidents even before its creation. of Western restrictions.
Meanwhile, companies are resorting to the so-called “cannibalization” method: grounding planes to use their parts in other planes, but this practice is not a viable solution for aviation safety, according to experts.
Source: BFM TV
