russia's problems with commercial aircraft construction are deepening

Data from Swiss aviation intelligence provider ch-aviation shows, as sanctions on foreign components stall production and high interest rates crimp investment.

Since russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions have cut off access to foreign-made aircraft and spare parts. With a fleet of more than 700 planes dominated by Airbus, Boeing, russian airlines now rely on complex, indirect import routes to source critical components.

"There is no component base, no technology, no production facilities, no engineers," said one russian aviation industry source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. "To create all this from scratch takes years, if not decades."

Given russia's geographical challenges as the world's largest country, it depends on commercial aircraft for domestic freight and passenger transport across its 11 time zones.

Source: Reuters