Russian airlines are returning aircraft that are over 30 years old to skies, - FISU
In 2026-2027, Russian airlines plan to return to service a large number of mothballed Soviet and foreign-made aircraft that are over 30 years old.
This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to Censor.NET.
As part of the restoration program, which has been extended until 2027, 10 of the 12 planned aircraft have already been returned to service. These include the Tu-204/214, Il-96, and An-148. Two more Tu-204s are scheduled to be transferred in 2026-2027.
At the same time, Russian carriers are bringing foreign aircraft back into service. In particular, Rossiya Airlines is expanding its fleet of Boeing 747s, acquired after Transaero went bankrupt. Aircraft over 20 years old are being returned to service due to a shortage of alternative aircraft.
According to intelligence data, as of October 2025, the fleet of the largest Russian airlines consisted of 1,135 aircraft, of which 1,088 were in operation. About 67% of the fleet consists of foreign-made aircraft, the maintenance of which is complicated by sanctions and a shortage of spare parts.
The crisis is most acute in cargo aviation: air transport cargo turnover fell from 9.2 billion tonne-kilometers in 2021 to 1.9 billion in 2024. Experts predict further deterioration of the industry without access to modern technology.
