WEBVTT

00:00.000 --> 00:05.780
Russian aviation has been subject to
harsh restrictions for more than two years

00:06.660 --> 00:12.980
The government allocated funds to support it. A portion
of the funds were used to subsidize domestic airlines

00:13.420 --> 00:24.240
while the remainder was used to compensate for increased fuel prices.
By the beginning of March, 2022, Russia had 1,290 aircraft in operation

00:24.240 --> 00:33.060
with 70% being foreign, largely modern Airbus and Boeing models.
They were largely leased, rented with the option to purchase

00:33.740 --> 00:38.500
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
lessers demanded the return of these planes

00:38.920 --> 00:44.400
which were seized outside of Russia. Within the
country, the surviving planes were basically confined

00:45.360 --> 00:51.520
Transport Minister Vitali Soveliev stated that the
government had opted to appropriate someone else's property

00:52.120 --> 00:59.160
The planes were re-registered in the Russian registry, but
even countries that did not join the sanctions are refusing

00:59.160 --> 01:04.920
to accept them. Andrei Litvanov, an aircraft
commander, an accomplished Aeroflot pilot

01:05.220 --> 01:11.840
who retired in 2022, believes that Russian civil
aviation would take decades to recover from its

01:11.840 --> 01:17.320
current difficulties. He doubts the feasibility
of the government's 70 billion-ruble initiative

01:17.320 --> 01:25.260
which intends to construct approximately 1,000
planes in Russia by 2030. He also predicts

01:25.260 --> 01:30.500
significant personnel issues for Aeroflot,
Russia's major airline, in the near future

01:30.860 --> 01:35.020
Speaking on the Spare's situation, he
told Kodorkovsky Live Channel this month

01:35.680 --> 01:40.500
China doesn't want to cooperate with us.
They've refused to supply us with spare parts

01:41.200 --> 01:52.312
Iran somehow finds parts for its planes but it important to understand that Iran operates
old aircraft Modern planes are packed with electronics and you can just install some ancient

01:52.312 --> 01:58.292
components on them. So comparing these two
types of import substitution is simply incorrect

01:58.552 --> 02:03.112
Andre Litvanov's arguments are especially
relevant when comparing the Russian and Iranian

02:03.112 --> 02:10.452
civil aviation situations. The average age of Iran's
commercial aircraft exceeds 25 years, with many

02:10.452 --> 02:16.072
requiring extensive maintenance. According to
recent reports, Iran has resorted to purchasing

02:16.072 --> 02:23.472
older aircraft from the Taliban, including a 29-year-old
McDonnell Douglas MD-82, suggesting a failing

02:23.472 --> 02:30.012
aviation fleet and limited choices for acquiring
contemporary jets. The Iranian Civil Aviation

02:30.012 --> 02:37.852
Organization has acknowledged the need for around
550 aircraft. However, just 180 are now operational

02:37.852 --> 02:43.592
In contrast, Russia has a fleet of modern airplanes
that are heavily integrated with innovative

02:43.592 --> 02:50.392
electronics and systems. These planes employ
sophisticated technology that cannot handle obsolete

02:50.392 --> 03:02.132
components without considerable modifications. The technology difference between Iran and Russia
is crucial since it impacts operational efficiency, safety, and overall aviation performance

03:02.572 --> 03:07.732
Speaking about domestic aircraft, Andrei
Litvanov said, as for new planes, the same goes

03:07.732 --> 03:14.012
for the superjet. It's conditionally Russian,
but 70% of it is made from imported components

03:14.792 --> 03:20.252
Complete import substitution isn't on the horizon
yet. Production is failing to meet the airline's

03:20.252 --> 03:37.565
needs One problem leads to another and it all snowballs Aviation is not an industry where you can solve everything with a magic wand This
will stretch on for a long time He further said electronics are the most complex part of an aircraft Take the engine on the superjet

03:38.125 --> 03:43.084
They keep trying to substitute imports,
but it hasn't even passed certification yet

03:43.325 --> 03:49.745
Then comes the next problem. They substitute the engine,
only to find out it costs as much as the entire plane

03:49.745 --> 03:55.765
They started replacing components in the
MC21, and it turned out to weigh six tons more

03:55.765 --> 04:02.305
than initially planned. This means reduced range,
lower altitude, and it starts becoming economically

04:02.305 --> 04:08.165
unfeasible. And all these issues need to be solved
in a comprehensive manner, not individually

04:08.625 --> 04:14.925
Aircraft and helicopters consist of tens of thousands
of parts, and it's impossible to substitute them all

04:14.925 --> 04:21.445
at once. So how does Russia keep its planes flying?
Russia is using several strategies to keep its

04:21.445 --> 04:27.865
foreign aircraft operating. Russian airlines are increasingly
relying on local maintenance, repair, and overhaul

04:27.865 --> 04:37.604
businesses to service Western-built aircraft. For example, S-7 Technics
gained experience repairing CFM-56 engines found in Airbus A320

04:37.604 --> 04:45.305
and Boeing 737 airplanes. This change enables Russian carriers
to extend the operational life of their current fleets

04:45.305 --> 04:51.425
without relying on Western sources for spare
parts. S-7 Technics has begun doing sufficient

04:51.425 --> 04:57.565
Repairs that were previously unavailable locally,
such as work on engines' hot-core components

04:58.044 --> 05:03.325
This capacity is critical because it eliminates
the need for aftermarket engine replacements

05:03.905 --> 05:11.425
which are becoming increasingly difficult as a result of sanctions.
With restricted access to spare parts from Western manufacturers

05:11.985 --> 05:23.157
Russian airlines have turned to cannibalizing components from stopped aircraft This approach
enables them to keep operating jets running by reusing parts from decommissioned aircraft

05:23.657 --> 05:33.197
Russian airlines are also exploring non-Western buying channels. This strategy
frequently incurs higher prices, yet it is vital for obtaining certain components

05:33.197 --> 05:41.817
that cannot be obtained from traditional vendors owing to
penalties. In April 2003, Aeroflot dispatched an Airbus plane

05:41.817 --> 05:47.557
to Iran for repairs, signing a contract for
continuous maintenance services. This collaboration

05:47.557 --> 05:53.917
is essential since Iran suffers similar aviation
issues and may supply maintenance services

05:53.917 --> 05:59.557
that are no longer available through Western
suppliers. Despite these efforts, ysts expect

05:59.557 --> 06:05.217
that Russian airlines will suffer significant
operating limits in the next years due to a lack

06:05.217 --> 06:11.637
of spare parts and technical support from Western
manufacturers. The viability of their existing

06:11.637 --> 06:17.957
methods is dubious as they navigate the intricacies
of international sanctions and the aging of

06:17.957 --> 06:23.397
their foreign fleets. Andre Litvinov says, we
are definitely facing problems with spare parts

06:23.817 --> 06:28.497
We have to obtain them through third countries.
People are complaining about the work environment

06:28.877 --> 06:35.037
salaries, flight delays, and cancellations all
due to a shortage of flight attendants in Aeroflot

06:35.737 --> 06:41.617
All of this, combined with sanctions, is causing
a lot of unrest among the flight crew and people

06:41.617 --> 06:47.517
are leaving. They're moving to other airlines,
seeking a better life in the CIS, abroad, wherever

06:47.517 --> 06:52.697
they can. Do you think the Russian aviation
business will deteriorate in the coming decade

06:53.577 --> 06:58.617
Let us know in the comments. Please like and
share the videos and subscribe to the channel

06:59.317 --> 07:01.957
Please also take our memberships to encourage us