Air Security Threat and EU Airline Sanctions Update

“Air Security Threat”

The European Commission described the issue as a serious safety concern linked to the mandatory re-registration of foreign aircraft in Russia, which could allow operation without valid airworthiness certificates. The commission stressed that such actions undermine international aviation safety standards and threaten flight safety.

Officials noted that Rosaviatsia permitted Russian airlines to operate hundreds of foreign aircraft without proper airworthiness certificates. The involved airlines reportedly violated relevant international safety standards, constituting a breach of the Chicago Convention and creating direct risks to passenger safety. The commission emphasized that the decision was based on security concerns rather than politics and that safety, not policy, drives the move.

In the latest update, the European Union maintained a blacklist containing 117 airlines. Ninety carriers from fifteen countries were added due to insufficient control over flight safety by their aviation authorities. New entrants include twenty Russian airlines and six carriers from other regions: Avior Airlines from Venezuela, Blue Wing Airlines from Suriname, Iran Aseman Airlines, Iraqi Airways, Med-View Airlines from Nigeria, and Air Zimbabwe from Zimbabwe.

Experts in aviation security from EU member states voted unanimously to refresh the blacklist during the EU Aviation Safety Committee meeting conducted via videoconference on April 5. The proposals also received support from the Transport Committee of the European Parliament.

Russian airlines on the black list

• Avrora Airlines;

• Aviastar-TU;

• Izhavia;

• Yakutia;

• Rusjet;

• UVT Aero;

• Siberian Airlines;

• Smartavia;

• IrAero;

• Ural Airlines;

• Alrosa Airlines;

• NordStar;

• Russian Line;

• Patch;

• North Wind;

• Ikar Airlines;

• Victory;

• Aeroflot;

• Russia;

• Skol has been on the blacklist since November 2021;

• Utair.

aviation sanctions

At the end of February, following the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the EU halted the sale of aircraft, spare parts, and related equipment to Russian airlines. Insurance and maintenance services were also barred. Several days saw airspace closures to Russian aircraft by European nations, Canada, and the United States.

Shortly after, Boeing announced a suspension of spare parts supply and maintenance for Russian aircraft, a move soon mirrored by Airbus. The Russian Transport Ministry later reported that as of March 11, Russian airlines operated 1,367 aircraft, with 739 registered abroad.

A Russian government decree on March 19 allowed airlines to continue operating aircraft leased from foreign owners. On March 25, Andrey Yurikov, the acting CEO of Pobeda Airlines, told employees that the fleet would be reduced from 41 to 25 aircraft to safeguard flight safety and the long-term future. Spare parts supply would be stabilized as the fleet shrank. The reduction aimed to match needs with available parts during disrupted supply chains.

In mid-April, a program was announced to diversify the fleet and stabilize the route network in response to Western sanctions, as explained by Aeroflot executives and ministry spokespeople. The goal was to mitigate the impact of sanctions and maintain operational continuity across international routes.