“It threatens flight security”
Officials cited a sequence of regulatory moves and safety concerns stemming from Russia’s re-registration of foreign aircraft, which would allow these planes to operate within Russia without valid airworthiness certificates. The European Commission described the situation as gravely unsafe, signaling risks to international aviation standards. This assessment followed scrutiny over how Rosaviatsia oversaw Russian carriers that used foreign-registered aircraft, prompting a broader dialogue about adherence to global safety rules and the integrity of the Chicago Convention agreements.
Experts concluded that Russia’s actions jeopardized established international safety norms. They pointed to the possibility that certain Russian authorities had permitted foreign airplanes to circulate without up-to-date certificates, a practice flagged as a deliberate breach of widely accepted aviation safety standards. The assessment emphasized that the issue extends beyond political considerations and touches on core flight-safety obligations recognized by the international community.
Officials stressed that the latest measure was not presented as a new round of sanctions against Russia, but as a security-based precaution aimed at protecting air travel. A European Commissioner underscored that security concerns drive the decision, insisting that geopolitical factors do not cloud a safety-focused rationale.
117 ban
Across the updated EU blacklist, a total of 117 airlines are now listed. The update noted that 90 carriers from 15 different countries were added due to insufficient safety oversight by their respective aviation authorities. Among the newcomers are 20 Russian airlines and six carriers from other regions, including Venezuelan Avior Airlines, Suriname’s Blue Wing Airlines, Iran Aseman Airlines, Iraqi Airways, Med-View Airlines from Nigeria, and Zimbabwe’s Air Zimbabwe.
EU aviation security experts from member states reportedly voted unanimously to refresh the blacklist during a videoconference meeting of the EU Aviation Safety Committee on April 5. The initiative also received backing from the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, reflecting broad cross-institutional consensus on strengthening aviation safety measures.
Russian airlines on the black list
• Avrora Airlines;
• Aviastar-TU;
• Izhavya;
• “Yakutia”;
• Rusjet;
• “UVT air”;
• Siberian Airlines;
• Smartavia;
• IrAero;
• Ural Airlines;
• Alrosa Airlines;
• NordStar;
• Russian line;
• Patch;
• North Wind;
• Icarus Airlines;
• “Victory”;
• Aeroflot;
• Russia;
• Skol (carrier blacklisted in November 2021);
• Utair.
aviation sanctions
As the crisis intensified at the end of February, the European Union moved to halt the sale of aircraft, spare parts, and related equipment to Russian airlines. The bloc also barred the provision of insurance and maintenance services. In a broader regional response, several Western countries, including Canada and the United States, closed their airspace to Russian aircraft for a period of time.
In early March, major aerospace players began suspending shipments of spare parts and maintenance services for Russian-registered aircraft. Boeing announced a suspension of parts and maintenance supply, with Airbus following suit shortly after. This disruption affected fleets that depend on Western-built components and service networks.
According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, as of March 11, Russian airlines operated 1,367 aircraft, with more than half registered in foreign registries — 739. A government decree issued on March 19 allowed Russian airlines to continue operating aircraft leased from foreign entities.
By March 25, Andrey Yurikov, acting director general of Pobeda Airlines, informed staff that 16 of its 41 aircraft would be taken out of service. The airline aimed to downsize to 25 aircraft to maintain flight safety and secure its long-term operations. He explained that the remaining aircraft would be kept in reserve, pending a normalization of supply chains, and that the fleet reduction would help cushion the impact of spares shortages.
Late in the period, a strategic decision emerged to diversify the fleet and stabilize the route network as a response to Western sanctions, signaling a shift toward greater autonomy in operations and resilience planning for the broader Russian aviation sector.