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Russia's civil aviation struggles amid resource competition with military

Russia's civil aviation struggles amid resource competition with military
Policy
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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

In the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western sanctions have severely impacted Russia's aviation industry. Reports from Kommersant and Simple Flying highlight significant challenges faced by Russian civil aviation due to these sanctions. The recent dismissals of the heads of Yakovlev and Tupolev underscore the struggles within the sector, with civil aviation now competing for resources against military needs.

Yakovlev, responsible for producing MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft, has not delivered any new models since sanctions began. A Russian audit cited by Kommersant reveals that many components for passenger aircraft are either unavailable or allocated to defense enterprises. "It turned out that a number of components [for passenger aircraft] are not produced in the Russian Federation or are used by defense enterprises," according to Kommersant.

The audit also criticized existing financing schemes as "largely dysfunctional." Despite management changes, structural issues remain unresolved. Former director Andrei Boginsky reportedly addressed some problems but could not alter production forecasts.

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Russia aims to produce 1,000 domestic passenger jets by 2030 but faces constraints from suppliers capable of manufacturing only six MC-21s annually under current conditions. If resolved, production could increase to 12 per year by 2026—still below targets set for subsequent years.

Kommersant suggests reducing ongoing programs like MC-21, SJ-100, Tu-214, Il-114, Baikal among others to focus resources more effectively. However, it acknowledges that admitting project redundancy may be unlikely soon.

As Russia is cut off from Boeing and Airbus parts and services—a situation already affecting its Airbus fleet—the need for a functional commercial aviation industry becomes urgent to maintain national connectivity amidst these constraints.

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