Russians love to fly.

During the dictatorship, few Russians were allowed to travel to the West or to exotic destinations such as the Seychelles and Thailand, which they have taken back with flying colors in recent decades.

Russia now belongs to the giants in the travel market and before the pandemic, only Aeroflot with subsidiaries flew around 60 million passengers annually.

EU and US sanctions mean, among other things, that Western leasing companies must conclude their dealings with Russia by 28 March.

There are 980 commercial aircraft in Russia, 777 of which are leased according to the analysis company Cirium and the majority are owned by either Irish or Bahamas-registered companies.

The Bahamas Transportation Board has already decided to withdraw so-called airworthiness certificates for planes leased to Russia, which means that they now fly without being insured.

When the sanctions now restrict aviation, Russian authorities want to prevent leased aircraft from leaving the country, hence the threat of nationalization. 

Sanctions bite

When the EU and the US introduced sanctions against Russian interests, major manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus pulled the emergency brake directly.

The companies announced that they had stopped technical support to Russian airlines and deliveries of spare parts, measures that could have an impact on flight safety, says Jan Ohlsson.

-There is a risk that the Russian companies will start buying pirated spare parts, explains aviation expert Jan Ohlsson.

Shortly after the airlines' drastic decision, the booking companies Amadeus and Saber decided to cut off contact with, among others, state-owned Aeroflot.

A measure with real consequences for the Russian companies tweeted Jon Ostrower, head of the aviation site The Air Current

- No Saber, no bookings.

No bookings, no airline. 

Five basic questions about the war

  • Why does not the outside world enter militarily?

    46 sec

  • What does Putin want?

    35 sec

  • How did the invasion start?

    23 sec

  • What is the background to the war?

    1 minute

  • Should Sweden be worried?

    30 sec