Russia will have to decommission about 340 aircraft by 2030, - Foreign Intelligence Service
Russian passenger planes, which the Kremlin presents as a symbol of technological independence, have in practice proven to be dependent on foreign components.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press center of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Donor repair
As noted, the SSJ-100s that continue to fly are equipped with French SaM146 engines, which Russian airlines can no longer officially service due to sanctions. The aircraft have problems with their control systems and landing gear, and repairs are only supported by "donor" spare parts. The import-substituted version of the SSJ-NEW, in which 64 components need to be replaced, has not passed certification; the deadlines are constantly being pushed back — currently, they are talking about 2026, but without guarantees or forecasts for serial production.
Pause for the MC-21
The medium-range MS-21 is also far from mass production. The MS-21-300 model was ready for serial approval, but after the start of aggression against Ukraine, the project was halted due to the use of American Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines. The MC-21-310 version, in which 70 Western components were to be replaced, is still being refined: Russian manufacturers were unable to replace the icing systems, toilet module, collision warning system, weather radar, and power supply. At the same time, the range of the updated model has been reduced from 6,400 to 3,830 km.
Operation of An-24 and An-26
"The situation is no better in the turboprop aircraft segment: instead of real import substitution to replace the outdated An-24 and An-26, Russia continues to extend their service life "on paper." Passenger safety is not a priority in this case. The Baikal project, which was supposed to replace the An-2, has been declared a failure, although funding continues," the statement said.
According to the forecast of Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsiya, by 2030, Russian civil aviation will have to decommission about 340 aircraft — 230 domestic and 109 imported. This list will also include modern SSJ-100 aircraft, assembled using Western technology, access to maintenance for which is now blocked.
