Russian airlines are slowly but surely running out of spare parts for Western aircraft. The government is now resorting to a method known from Iran: self-made and with state approval.

Among other things, the sanctions imposed by the United States of America, the European Union and other states in response to the military attack on Ukraine stipulate that spare parts for aircraft may be delivered to the Russian Federation. Russian carriers use models from Airbus and Boeing in large numbers, as well as ATR, Embraer and Bombardier.

The spare parts stores are to be emptied, so that the first machines have to serve as "spare parts donors". But this is not a permanent solution, because you cannot buy any more parts in the regular way. The Russian government does not see this as a problem and now wants the spare parts needed to be built by the company itself.

This method has been used in Iran for a very long time, because due to international sanctions, the required parts cannot be obtained in the regular way. The solution: You simply build it yourself, but the "homemade brand" is neither internationally certified nor recognized. This is also one of the many reasons why machines that are in use in Iran are not really in demand on the used market.

According to local media reports, the Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsiya has initially approved five companies for the production of spare parts for Western models, primarily Airbus and Boeing. They are now allowed to analyse, copy and produce the parts themselves. The certification is granted by the Russian authority.

The installation of these parts is not internationally recognized and could lead to a massive loss in value of the aircraft concerned. It can also be assumed that the "self-made brand" will not be recognized afterwards either. It is currently not possible to assess whether this poses a security risk. According to a report by the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, Aeroflot and S7 Technics, among others, have received the newly granted permits.

After seizure: Aeroflot stops Sri Lanka flights

A few days ago, a court in Sri Lanka found one used by Aeroflot following a lawsuit brought by a lessor Airbus A330 chained up. A hearing will take place this week, but the machine is not expected to be released in the short term. The Lessor believes that the aircraft was illegally owned by Aeroflot entered in the Russian register was and also without permission or payment of leasing rates are used.

The situation is different in Russia, where the Sri Lankan government has given assurances that no action will be taken against RA-registered aircraft. Furthermore, deposits were deposited with the Lessor and the leasing rates would be paid paid to so-called C accounts in rubles will. The Lessors could pick them up at any time. It's not quite that simple, however, because deposits can normally only be "used up" towards the end of the term with the consent of the lessor. Furthermore, the installments allegedly held in trust by the state cannot be remedied due to the sanctions.

Irrespective of this: Aeroflot has meanwhile decided that it no longer wants to fly to Sri Lanka for the time being. There are obvious fears that other lessors could use landings in this state to have their property chained. Western aircraft owners are currently finding it difficult to have their aircraft confiscated due to various orders from the Russian government. At best, this succeeds abroad, which is why the case in Sri Lanka is receiving special international attention. In any case, Aeroflot wants to fly out all Russian vacationers, but the question of “how” was not answered.