Russian aviation has shown a remarkable capacity to adapt amid prolonged sanctions, a trend highlighted by Bloomberg and supported by Cirium data. Across a challenging period, Russian carriers have kept essential routes alive and maintained fleet activity in a way that keeps many international prospects ongoing.
Cirium’s analysis reveals that roughly a year after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian airlines continue to fly a sizable mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The fleet remains robust at 467 units in operation, reflecting a rebound from the previous year’s 544 aircraft and signaling ongoing access to used and leased jets through varied channels. The operation has extended to several former Soviet republics, including Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, underscoring a regional reach that supports both passenger and cargo movements.
Daily activity remains strong in the domestic market, with about 1,100 flights taking off and landing each day. This volume is only about 15 percent below the level seen in the prior year, illustrating continued demand for travel and essential services within Russia. The persistence of domestic connectivity matters for regional economies and for maintaining freight channels that keep goods moving across the vast country.
Bloomberg notes that this sustained resilience could suggest that sanctions have a more gradual or uneven impact than some observers anticipated. While production in the Russian aviation sector has slowed for several quarters, the pace is not as dramatic as some Western forecasts warned. To preserve fleet utilization and service continuity, authorities constrained the reallocation of leased aircraft, a policy that helped stabilize the current aviation ecosystem.
Experts cited in the coverage point to a long history of technical capability within Russia’s aircraft industry, a legacy built during the Soviet era that still informs today’s manufacturing and maintenance practices. Attempts to isolate Russia have not delivered the anticipated strategic gains, and the network has adapted to new realities. The Russian airspace has been closed to some international overflights, which has compelled Western carriers to chart longer, more costly routes that bypass Russian territory. In response, the Federation has welcomed traffic from friendlier, partner nations, maintaining a level of openness in select international corridors.
In mid November, the Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, announced a substantial subsidy plan designed to support domestic aviation operations. Nineteen Russian airlines are slated to receive a total of 9 billion rubles to help cover operating costs for flights within the country. The broader subsidy program for the aviation sector is set to reach 100 billion rubles, reflecting a significant state effort to sustain air mobility and regional connectivity during challenging times.