How is Russia still flying planes?

The government has recently legalized “cannibalization”: the practice of removing parts from one plane to install them on another. Still, by 2025, Russia is expected to be left with just 70 percent of its foreign-made airplanes. The primary goal for Russian civil aviation right now is to stay afloat until 2030.



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Russian Airlines Are Flying High Despite Sanctions. The West had sought to largely ground the country's carriers, but they continue to operate by skirting global rules and cannibalizing older planes for parts. An Airbus A321-211 flown by Aeroflot sits at the Geneva airport on March 25, 2022.

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Sanctions as a result of the invasion of Ukraine have made it impossible for Russian companies to purchase certain spare parts to maintain their aircraft since February 2022, but it seems that nothing has changed for the passengers. However, a series of leaks has uncovered the industry's negligence in ensuring safety.

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Russian airlines haven't been able to fly in the airspace of numerous countries. Carriers have had to cannibalize aircraft for spare parts to maintain Boeing and Airbus airliners. Some Russian airlines, though, have also found ways to circumvent the sanctions to buy avionics and other parts.

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At least 21 airlines have had to avoid navigating across Russian airspace, mainly due to reciprocal prohibitions imposed by Russian authorities on their aircraft or to prevent a deadly accident, as the world saw in 2014.

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Regulation (EU) 833/2014 prohibits any non-Russian-registered aircraft which is owned or chartered, or otherwise controlled by any Russian natural to land in, take off from or overfly the territory of the Union, except in case of an emergency landing or emergency overflight.

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Still, by 2025, Russia is expected to be left with just 70 percent of its foreign-made airplanes. The primary goal for Russian civil aviation right now is to stay afloat until 2030.

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Lufthansa. The German airline Lufthansa is not using Russian airspace and flights to Russia are suspended .

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Currently, the U.S. bans its own airlines from flying over Russian airspace, but the ban doesn't generally apply to foreign airlines that serve the U.S.

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While U.S., European and Japanese carriers have stopped flying over Russia, Air India and some Gulf-based and Chinese airlines continue to do so, making flying times shorter and giving them a cost edge over competitors.

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Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia lost the ability to operate much of its commercial aircraft fleet outside Russia. Most of the aircraft operating for Russian airlines are leased from foreign lessors and subject to sanctions and repossession if they leave Russia.

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15, 2022. United Airlines Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby said flying over Russia constitutes a risk that many carriers including his own won't take, while airlines from China or India enjoy a competitive advantage as they continue to traverse the airspace.

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The planes of European airlines, like KLM and Air France, are therefore not allowed to fly over Russia.

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Thirty-three countries blocked Russian flights from their airspace following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, as of Wednesday. All 27 EU countries, as well as Albania, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, the UK, and the US, imposed the ban after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

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The polar route
Chinese airlines aren't the only ones still using Russian airspace. Air India, for example, flies over Russia for its direct flights from India to the United States. Middle Eastern airlines, like Emirates, also continue to fly over Russia on their North American routes.

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While Kirby made a comment out of the goodness of his heart and having fear for the American citizen, he had no such words for his new best friends at Emirates, who have also been using Russian airspace and operating all their west coast flights via Russian Airspace.

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Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air India and Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Cargo, and most Chinese carriers have continued to fly over and to Russia.

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