Latest News

Russia calls on global aviation meeting to relax sanctions due to safety concerns

According to a working paper and a reliable source, Russia wants aviation leaders meeting in Montreal this week to relax sanctions on spare parts. It also wants to lift restrictions on overflights.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022 Western sanctions have restricted access to aircraft and spare parts made abroad, forcing Russian airlines to import parts for over 700 Airbus and Boeing jets, mostly via indirect routes.

Sources in the Russian aviation industry say that Russian authorities are currently trying to negotiate relief of sanctions, especially on spare parts which they claim are crucial for flight safety. Russia will be making its case to regulators, other delegates and the International Civil Aviation Organization's triennial meeting which begins on Tuesday and continues through October 3.

The U.N. ICAO is responsible for setting global standards of safety for civil aviation. Its council has condemned Moscow's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty over its airspace and dual registrations. The United States lifted last week sanctions against Belarusian Belavia, which had been imposed after Minsk supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow argued in a working paper submitted to the assembly that the sanctions are against global law. Russia also tries to get elected to the 36-state governing body of ICAO after it failed to win enough votes following the invasion in Ukraine. Already, its efforts have generated opposition. Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said on Saturday that Canada is aware of Russia’s candidacy for the International Civil Aviation Organization Council (ICAO). "Canada does not support Russia’s election to this organization," said a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson. Russia is the largest country in the world and relies heavily on commercial planes to transport passengers and freight across its 11 time zones. However, recent incidents indicate that Russia's fleet has been degrading. A Soviet Antonov An-24 built in 1976 crashed in Russia's Far East in late July. All 48 people aboard were killed. A few days later, Russian flag-carrier Aeroflot grounded several flights after a devastating cyberattack.

One Russian newspaper said that "unlawful coercive actions violate the human rights to freedom of movement, regardless of nationality or citizenship."

The ICAO must take all necessary measures to stop states from applying discriminatory, coercive and politically biased measures in international civil aviation.

Aircraft Aging

The documents criticise also the closing of 37 state's airspace for flight operations by Russian airlines, and bans on aircraft insurance and maintenance.

The Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsiya has not responded to a comment request, and the Transport Ministry has declined to make one. Ukrainian authorities did not respond to a request for comment.

The Russian aviation source said that the fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes in Russia is old and not all parts could be imported via so-called grey schemes. This means that a large number of Western aircraft may be grounded.

(source: Reuters)