Sanctions and Aging Aircraft: Why Russia Is Bringing Back Old Planes
Because of sanctions, Russia has found itself in a situation where its civilian aviation cannot function normally without Western aircraft and spare parts. Almost the entire passenger fleet was built around Boeing and Airbus. After 2022, access to new aircraft and official maintenance was cut off. As a result, Russia began doing what countries usually do in a deep crisis: pulling old aircraft out of storage and trying to put them back in the air. To “deconserve” an aircraft does not mean just wiping off dust.
It means:
- taking an aircraft that has not flown for years;
- checking the airframe, engines, and electronics;
- replacing worn-out or expired components;
- finding spare parts that are no longer produced.
The older the aircraft, the harder and riskier it is to return it to service.
Why Russia is forced to do this
About 75% of Russia’s commercial aircraft fleet consists of Western-made planes.
Sanctions mean:
- no new aircraft;
- no official spare parts;
- no certified maintenance.
In these conditions, the fleet inevitably shrinks. That is why Russian airlines plan to return only 12 aircraft to service in 2026. This is not growth it is patching holes to keep flights running at all.
Among the aircraft Russia is preparing to return to service is the An-148 a passenger jet developed in Ukraine. This type was completely grounded in Russia after a crash in February 2018, when all 71 people on board were killed. After that:
- Russian airlines stopped flying the An-148;
- Cuba also banned the use of this aircraft model.
Now, because of the shortage of aircraft, Russia is returning to this plane again, despite its history and serious safety concerns. This clearly shows how limited the options have become.
Which other aircraft are being brought back
Russia is also preparing to return:
- the Il-96, a large long-haul aircraft also used as the presidential plane;
- the Tu-204/214, medium-haul aircraft designed at the very end of the Soviet era.
These models are not new and are not widely used. They operate mainly in sanctioned countries such as Russia, North Korea, and Cuba. This is not modern aviation, but rather a narrow niche for countries cut off from the global market.
Another case is the Boeing 747, whose production ended in 2023. Russia is also preparing these aircraft to return to service, relying on the fact that:
- more than 1,500 aircraft were built over decades;
- many spare parts still exist worldwide.
This is technically possible, but it is not normal practice, it is a forced compromise. Iran is often cited as an example it still flies 747s that are almost 50 years old. But this is a model of survival under sanctions, not successful development.
Russia tried another approach producing new domestic aircraft. The plan for 2023–2025 called for 127 new aircraft. The real result:
- only 13 aircraft were delivered.
This number is crucial. It shows that domestic aircraft manufacturing cannot quickly replace Western planes, even with full state support.
Sanctions evasion is not a solution
At the same time, Russia is building schemes to bypass sanctions on aircraft parts. There are known cases involving intermediary companies and arrests in the United States for illegal exports of aviation parts to Russia worth about $2 million. But such schemes are:
- unstable;
- expensive;
- incapable of supporting a large, safe passenger fleet.
This story is not about the “revival of aviation”. It is about something else:
- Russia is losing its modern civilian aircraft fleet.
- It is forced to fly old aircraft because there are no alternatives.
- Every decision is a compromise between safety, availability, and politics.
- There is no long-term stability in this system.
When a country puts aircraft back into the sky that should have stayed in storage or museums, it is not development it is a crisis.
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