Over a third of the long-haul aircraft remaining in Russia are not in operation due to problems with spare parts, caused by sanctions, writes Kommersant.
According to the publication, out of the 93 foreign wide-body aircraft left in the country, less than 60 are operational. The rest are either in prolonged maintenance or grounded.
Engine and parts shortage
Engines and components for these aircraft are hard to find. Wide-body aircraft make up only about 16% of the global fleet, which exacerbates the shortage and increases the cost of parts.
Sources quoted by the publication claim that attempts to organize engine repairs in Iran — where some landing gears are already being repaired — have not yielded the expected results.
“Aeroflot” seeks emergency solutions
Due to the situation, even the main Russian operator, Aeroflot, is forced to redistribute resources. The company has extended the “wet leasing” agreement with iFly and brought in a fourth Airbus A330 along with the crew, to compensate for the aircraft taken out of service.
Previously, “Aeroflot” had already received three such aircraft. One of them, according to the quoted source, was withdrawn from operation at the end of 2025 due to an engine failure.