Page 66 - bne IntelliNews Russia OUTLOOK 2025

airspace closures and having to return or buy out leased passenger aircraft worth about $20bn from foreign leasing companies. However, in 2023 the passenger turnover recovered to the pre-war levels boosted by the domestic traffic. The growth in traffic is accompanied by rising ticket prices.
More than half of the Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft in Russia have suspended flights due to engine problems, Kommersant writes. Airlines are saving some of them for the high season, while others may never return to service. A mass withdrawal of these aircraft from service is possible as early as 2026.
34 out of 66 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft have suspended flights. The main reason is the problematic Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which require major repairs every 1.5 years.
The situation is most difficult for S7, as the company has 31 such aircraft parked. The engine resources of more than 20 of them are already practically exhausted, Kommersant's sources say, they may never return to service. S7 is saving some of its aircraft for the next high season.
It is impossible to repair engines inside Russia, as well as to export them abroad – the engines are monitored, and only a few branches around the world are engaged in repairs. There is no talk of buying new ones – grey imports are impossible due to tracking and shortages.
The A320/A321neo accounts for approximately 10% of the entire foreign mainline fleet. The remaining 27 are distributed mostly between Aeroflot (10 aircraft) and Ural Airlines (11 aircraft).
All major carriers, except S7, have these aircraft equipped with a different type of engine, the situation with which is considered less critical, but from 2026 they will also begin to be decommissioned en masse, sources predict.
The experts interviewed do not expect any serious impact on the volume of passenger traffic due to the problems with the A320/A321neo, but the situation will not get any better either. For S7, the decommissioning of these aircraft could lead to a 10-15% reduction in traffic next year.
66 Russia OUTLOOK 2025 www.intellinews.com