The Federal Air Transport Agency announced the prerequisites for the supply of Western aircraft

Despite unprecedented international sanctions banning the supply of Western aircraft to Russia, some Russian airlines “have the preconditions” for acquiring them on the secondary market, Alexander Neradko, head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, told RBC in an interview. But he did not specify from which countries it is planned to import these vessels and other details.

Until now, it was believed that now the supply of Western-made aircraft to Russia has been completely stopped. The largest Russian air group Aeroflot has already placed a record order for the production of more than 300 Russian aircraft, the cost of which was estimated by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov at more than 1 trillion rubles. Aeroflot, in its new strategy, has envisaged that the share of foreign aircraft in its fleet will gradually decrease from 78% to about 30% by 2030. At the same time, the total fleet should grow by almost one and a half times, from 349 to 500 vessels.

“Under the current conditions, until mass production of domestic aircraft begins, there is nothing reprehensible in this. But we are not talking about long-haul aircraft, but more about regional imported aircraft,” Neradko said. According to him, there are some sectors where there are not enough regional jets. For example, An-24 and An-26 aircraft are depleting their service life and resources: some of them have been in operation for more than 50 years. Therefore, until the TVRS-44 Ladoga aircraft begin to be mass-produced, the import of imported aircraft can be allowed in a limited number.

“The most important thing is that this process should be regulated. We have an import substitution commission that will consider these issues and come to one conclusion or another,” the official stressed. He recalled that at the end of the 1980s, a decision was also made to operate European Airbus A310 aircraft in Aeroflot, but only six aircraft: "There was no decision on uncontrolled import."