According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who spoke at a press conference on February 25, 2022, the European Commission plans to prohibit sales of aircraft, spare parts, and other related equipment to Russian airlines as part of sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Von der Leyen remarked that three-quarters of Russia’s current commercial fleet is dependent on EU, US, and Canada-built aircraft. Therefore, the sanction “will degrade the key sector of Russia’s economy and the country’s connectivity”. The measures are approved by the European leaders but are yet to come into effect.
Airbus and Boeing aircraft make up the majority of the fleets of Russia’s three leading airlines.
According to Planespotters.net, Russia’s flag airline, Aeroflot, has a total of 185 aircraft in its fleet, with 116 Airbus planes, 59 Boeing planes, and only 10 Russian planes. Aeroflot has 22 Airbus A350s on order, eight of which have already been delivered, according to Airbus data.
Massive and targeted sanctions, agreed by EU leaders, will have severe consequences for Russia.
These sanctions cover:
⛔️The financial sector
⛔️The energy and transport sectors
⛔️A ban on the export of aircraft spare parts
⛔️Access to important technology
⛔️Visa policy pic.twitter.com/dp9ktDA8yP— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) February 25, 2022
Planespotters.net data shows that S7 – Siberia Airlines has a fleet of 105 aircraft, comprising 48 Airbus A320s, 16 Airbus A321s, three Airbus A319s, 21 Boeing 737s, and 17 Embraer ERJ-170 planes.
According to Planespotters.net, Ural Airlines has a fleet of 53 aircraft, all of which are made by Airbus.
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a Russian aircraft manufacturer, has been attempting to build and construct its own commercial aircraft in order to be less reliant on international models. The major projects, on the other hand, are still in the planning stages.
