Boeing Seeks Return to Russia Amid Industry Sanctions
The American corporation Boeing is preparing to resume aircraft deliveries and maintenance in Russia. According to insiders and shareholder statements, this move would be driven by a desire to regain access to the Russian market, which experts estimate has a capacity of 700 mainline aircraft for 15-20 years. This would translate to tens of billions of dollars in revenue from spare parts and maintenance.
The current Russian fleet consists of 1088 airworthy aircraft, with about 620 being Western-made and averaging 17 years old. By 2030, a third of the fleet may be retired due to age. Meanwhile, Russia's '1000 aircraft' program has not yet provided any aircraft to carriers, with only one Il-114-300 scheduled for delivery at the end of the year and another 18 MC-21s still undergoing certification.
Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of AVIA.RU, warns that Russia should not trust Boeing due to its past actions. In 2022, the corporation cut off maintenance and withdrew training centers from Russia, effectively paralyzing the country's aviation sector. To regain access, Boeing would require sanctions on the aviation industry and banking sector to be lifted.
Boeing is also interested in resuming purchases of Russian titanium, which accounts for every third aircraft assembled by the corporation. However, this would only be possible if Russia agrees to purchase domestic MC-21s, allowing Boeing to maintain its market share.