Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr and Aeroflot have signed an agreement to transfer the last eight Boeing aircraft. These aircraft will be used as spare parts donors to maintain the technical condition and continue the operation of the aircraft in the carrier's fleet.
Points of attention
- An agreement between Volga-Dnepr and Aeroflot to transfer Boeing aircraft could lead to a significant reduction in Russia's civil aircraft fleet.
- The decrease in access to foreign aircraft and spare parts due to international sanctions is forcing Russian airlines to ground aircraft and resort to unofficial channels for spare parts.
- The dismantling of serviceable aircraft to use their parts as donors may temporarily improve the technical condition of operated aircraft but at the cost of degrading the overall aircraft fleet.
Russian civil aviation is on the verge of destruction
Under the contract, six Boeing 737-800BCFs and two Boeing 747-400s will be transferred for financial leasing to Aeroflot's subsidiaries — Pobeda and Rossiya airlines.
The deal is worth approximately $130 million and will be financed from the Russian Federation's National Welfare Fund.
As of early 2022, Russia had approximately 1,500–1,800 Western-made civilian aircraft in operation. Today, this number has decreased significantly.
International sanctions have blocked Russia's access to foreign aircraft and spare parts. Russian air carriers are forced to ground aircraft or purchase spare parts through "gray" unofficial schemes without guarantees of quality and safety. Another option that makes it possible to "patch up" equipment in the short term is to dismantle serviceable airliners.
The contract between Volga-Dnepr and Aeroflot airlines is the first case in the Russian aviation market when a passenger airline receives cargo planes solely for the purpose of dismantling them into components.
In the medium term, this will lead to a reduction in the aircraft fleet, an increase in the cost of transportation and the further degradation of Russian civil aviation. If current conditions persist, by 2026, Russia's aircraft fleet may be reduced by more than half.
