After Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, massive sanctions were placed on Russia by governments in the U.S. and Europe. That’s made it difficult for many Russian businesses to operate. Perhaps the toughest is the airlines. Aeroflot lost its London Heathrow landing slots permanently.
There were huge disputes with aircraft lessors since the contracts for planes were invalidated.
Within months Russian planes were falling apart, unable to access spare parts from U.S. and European manufacturers.
- Airlines turned to cannibalizing some of the aircraft in their fleet, taking parts off one plane to use on another.
- This meant chopping fleets in half but fewer aircraft was fine, because there also weren’t very many places where Russian airlines could fly – mostly bordering countries and the Mideast.
- And these carriers turned to black market sources of undocumented or improperly documented parts.
Reportedly flight safety incidents more than doubled between 2022 and 2023 as parts inventories ran low.
Now it seems that one way Russian airlines have kept flying – acquiring the spare parts they’ve needed – is having passengers check the parts in their luggage.
Airport staff in Moscow discovered a $40,000 aircraft part in a traveler’s luggage, intended for former oneworld member S7 Airlines. Other similar cases were reported throughout the year.
Despite all of this, somehow a Russian aircraft manufacturer thought they could attract American Airlines as a customer for a new narrowbody aircraft.
(HT: Paul H)
And the source of info on the $40,000 in parts if from luggage?!? Here say?!
I guess they get extra Frequent Flier miles on Aeroflot!!!
I can see the dispute at the check in counter now as a passenger tries to check in an airplane wing.
The sanctions against Russia are a crime. Russia is justified in it’s special military operation on territory it has a claim to.
Either way this was is quickly starting to turn towards Russia. They just launched a massive offense on Kharkov and are advancing on all fronts. The little Nazis in kiev days are numbered.
I’m not sure to understand how sanctions work, as I see Aeroflot aircraft using Istanbul airport all the time. If the embargo was real, they won’t be able to buy fuel in Turkey or to pay for services there.
@AndyS an unbelievably awful comment, so misinformed I pray this is a Russian troll and not someone from the west with this view.
I presume AndyS is speaking from a safe and Democratic country and has avoided de vice in the Russian military for his own cowardly reasons
I presume AndyS is speaking from a safe and Democratic country and has avoided service in the Russian military for his own cowardly reasons
AndyS is obviously a Russian troll on a special internet operation…
I’ve known US employees of aircraft companies that fly with aircraft parts in luggage when they really need to get it to someplace quickly but that is a bit different.
It’s not fair to punish the Russian citzens. If we held this same standard for every unjustified American invasion, we’d be locked in like democracts did to us during COVID.
@Bob’s ur Uncle
@Jake
@Cairns
No I’m an American. One who see this vile nation for what it is. The most corrupt and inept nation on the planet.
We have seen the us military commit decades of war crimes. From Vietnam to the Iraq wars, the deaths of millions of people at the hands of American war criminals and baby killers. Now the us and it’s puppets in the Eu once again use lies and propaganda to create another enemy when it’s the us that is the enemy and always has been. In 2014 the us and cia enabled a soft coup and the overthrow of the Democratically elected president of Ukraine by neo Nazis.
AndyS: No, you’re not an American. Don’t bullshit us. Your syntax is definitely not American.
As pointed out on several occasions, AndyS, aka Andys, aka andys is a Russian or Chinese bot.
@Jake-1
Repeating a lie over and over again doesn’t make it true.
@Joe Ehrlich
Keep pushing your Boogeyman.
@AndyS “Repeating a lie over and over again doesn’t make it true.” Blows right back at your face and your “Special” Trolling Operation?
It’s the 21st Century and the once-mighty Russian state beg for assistance from China, Iran and even North Korea for military support with its very Special-not-a-war-just-a-week-long-Military-operation-that-turned-into-years-long-mess.
You really should be questioning WHAT your comrade leader has done to Russia when the once mighty Russian army resorts to buying arms from North Korea. Putin’s achievements after staying in power longer than Stalin seem to pale in comparison to his watch and real estate collections.
Russians, I knew back in the 70s called Aeroflot Aeroflop.
@Don’t Fear the Troll
Turn off the American media. You might learn something and not regurgitate propaganda.