Russia could supply spare parts for aircraft through Russians who have relatives abroad – Reuters

Russians who have family ties abroad could be one of possible channels for the supply of spare parts for Russian Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which make up the main part of the Russian fleet and whose service was sanctioned after the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Reuters’ investigation of how Russia is refurbishing its fleet after the introduction of sanctions.

Customs data indicates that about at least one Russian carrier used family ties to purchase parts for 12 Airbus and 15 Boeing aircraft – Nordwind Airlines.

Documents report that the airline, owned by Russian businesswoman Karine Bukrey, imported hundreds of parts through Ramses Turizm, a tourism company located in the Turkish resort city of Antalya and owned by Bukrey's husband Ramazan Akpinar.

Nordwind and Bukrey did not respond to requests for comment. But immediately after that, Nordwind stopped receiving spare parts from Ramses Turizm.

However, spare parts were imported through another Turkish company, Na Havacilik ve Teknik, which is also based in Antalya. Moreover, this company was founded in August 2022.

Another method invented by the Russians to buy spare parts for their aircraft discovered by Reuters is to buy used parts through "friendly countries".

This was demonstrated in the case of the Ural Airlines Airbus aircraft, which in November last year could not take off from Yekaterinburg due to a malfunction, but three days later received a very important spare part manufactured by the American company Northrop Grumman.

The device's serial number indicates that the part was manufactured in October 2008. Six years ago, it was used on various aircraft, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

And thus, Ural Airlines receives more and more important American details.

Other than that, the investigation did not reveal anything new.

Customs documents the agency has examined show that the details reach Russia through intermediaries in Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Türkiye, China and Kyrgyzstan – none of which have approved Western sanctions against Russia.

Many of the companies involved in this activity were established after 2022.

In general, since May last year, when most restrictions on trade and exports to the United States and Europe began to apply, Russian airlines received aircraft parts worth at least US$1.2 billion by the end of June this year.

Moreover, the amount of US$1.2 billion significantly underestimates the real cost of aircraft parts imported during the period studied by Reuters. These are only deliveries intended directly for Russian airlines or their service units. But there is also evidence of the supply of aircraft parts purchased in Russia by companies seemingly not related to the aviation industry.

Oleg Panteleev, head of the Moscow Aviation analytical centre AviaPort, said Russian airlines have "solved the problem" of working under Western sanctions.

"At first, there was a shock, no one knew what to do. After two to three months, new supply channels were found and, after six or nine months, quite a lot of alternatives appeared, which allowed for a reduction in prices and delivery times," Panteleev said.

For reference: Russian airlines fly mainly on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which are prohibited from doing business in Russia. More than 40% of these aircraft were owned by foreign leasing companies that did not get their property back after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Although Russian Airlines cancelled flights to the United States, Western Europe, and allied countries, they increased services to Thailand, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as former Soviet republics such as Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Most aircraft continue to fly, even though they are cut off from important software updates and maintenance necessary to guarantee their airworthiness.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!