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Half of Russia's Airbus A320 and A321neo aircraft are currently grounded due to maintenance challenges, as reported by the Russian news outlet Kommersant. The grounding affects 34 out of 66 planes in this fleet category, largely attributed to the Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions have cut off access to official maintenance and parts for hundreds of Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
Simple Flying highlighted in May 2024 that S7 Airlines was attempting to reverse-engineer parts for the CFM 56 engines. However, despite Russia's significant capability to maintain its airliners, there are limits to what can be achieved without external support.
Kommersant detailed that some aircraft have been placed in reserve to conserve engine life for peak seasons, but estimated that up to 20 might never return to service. The complexity of these planes prevents repairs within Russia, and importing necessary parts is not an option under current sanctions. There is speculation about a potential large-scale withdrawal of these aircraft by 2026.
