Russia may need half its planes for spare parts, Kommersant reports

Russia may be forced to ground between half and two-thirds of its commercial aircraft by 2025 in order to cannibalize them for spare parts, Kommersant newspaper reported, citing an unidentified person at the Transport Ministry. 

In the ministry’s base case, at least 70% of the country’s foreign-made planes will still be flying by the end of 2025, Kommersant said, citing an internal report on the airline industry to 2030.

However, in a worst-case scenario, Russia could begin to face severe shortages starting in the second half of this year as sanctions prevent the airline industry from importing components, the report said.

The ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Even in the most optimistic scenario, passenger volumes will not recover to the pre-crisis level of 100 million people a year by 2030, Kommersant reported. 

The plan calls for a 627 billion ruble ($8.6 billion) development program that would add 1,000 Russian planes to the national fleet by 2030. Russia had 1,140 planes registered as of April 20, Kommersant said.