russia seeks lifting of aviation sanctions due to flight safety concerns

Reuters reports this, citing working documents and a source in the russian aviation sector.

Since the start of russiaʼs full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Western sanctions have blocked access to foreign-made aircraft and spare parts. russian airlines have had to import spare parts for over 700 aircraft (mostly “Airbus” and “Boeing”) through difficult, indirect routes.

Moscow is now trying to negotiate a lifting of sanctions, including on spare parts it says are critical to flight safety. russia will present its case to regulators and other delegates at the assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which will be held from September 23 to October 3.

It sets global standards for civil aviation safety, and its council has condemned Moscow for violating Ukraine’s airspace sovereignty and dually registering aircraft.

russia made the request after the United States last week lifted sanctions against Belarusʼ state-owned airline “Belavia”, which were imposed when Minsk supported Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine.

The documents criticize the closure of the airspace of 37 states to russian airlines and the ban on aircraft maintenance and insurance. In working papers submitted to the assembly, Moscow said the sanctions were contrary to global rules. russia is also trying to get elected to the 36-nation ICAO governing council after failing to get enough votes in 2022.

As the world’s largest country, russia relies heavily on commercial aircraft for domestic cargo and passenger transport, but recent incidents have shown that the russian fleet is deteriorating.

russia’s fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes is aging and not all parts can be imported under so-called gray schemes, a russian aviation source told Reuters. This means that a significant number of Western aircraft could be grounded there.

Source: Babel, Reuters