How Russian Airlines Are Sourcing Parts for Their Airbus and Boeing Aircraft
According to Cirium data from April 2026, 46 airlines in Russia operate a total of 838 passenger aircraft, 460 of them Airbus and Boeing types. The fact that the number of active Western-built aircraft has remained largely unchanged since 2023 is attributed to supply chains established through third countries to circumvent sanctions.
Research published by Bloomberg in May 2026 found that at least 30 companies acted as intermediaries in delivering aviation components to Russia over the course of a year. India, Turkey, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China served as the main logistics hubs, with China exporting at least $961 million worth of aviation parts to Russia between March 2022 and February 2026.
The parts are purchased from Western suppliers by companies in third countries and then shipped on to Russia through various intermediaries. Bloomberg determined that two CFM engines obtained for Rossiya Airlines’ Airbus A320 fle
