Russia’s government intends to create a single certification system for components that would enable approved spares for foreign aircraft to be produced by domestic companies.
As part of the plan senators have submitted a bill to the lower house of parliament, the Duma, which would give federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia the authority to select an agency which would handle the various aspects of certification.
The proposed amendment to the Air Code is effectively a parts manufacturer approval for components necessary to repair foreign aircraft during maintenance visits, given the international sanctions which prevent direct sale.
“Considering that the shortage of foreign-made spares… it can be concluded that the alternative spares market will actively develop in [Russia],” says the proposal, cautioning that a “grey market” of unauthentic components could otherwise emerge.
According to the official Russian parliamentary gazette, the country’s dependence on aviation imports – particularly since sanctions emerged a decade ago – “remains rather painful”.
Several carriers, among them Aeroflot, Pobeda and Ural Airlines, have retained Airbus and Boeing jets despite efforts by lessors to retrieve them, but the sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict have led to delays in obtaining spares.
