Russia plans to procure aircraft components from several countries in Africa and Asia, where it can be done to circumvent sanctions. This information comes from the Russian news agency RBC, citing a letter from the deputy head of Rosaviatsiya (Russian Federal Air Transport Agency), as disclosed by two sources in the aviation industry.
The Association of Air Transport Operators (AEVT), representing major Russian airlines, proposed to Rosaviatsiya to include Indonesia, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and Pakistan in the list of countries where it is possible to purchase components for aircraft. Rosaviatsiya agreed to the list but with the caveat that it had not previously interacted with the aviation authorities of these countries.
The letter specifies that these countries need to be added to expand the possibilities for the repair of aviation equipment, particularly engines.
The justification from the carriers is that these states and their aviation administrations have high audit results from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), indicating a proper organization of the flight safety system there.
The reason for the need to expand the list of countries where Russia is trying to purchase aircraft parts is not disclosed. Previously, Iran, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Israel, Mexico, Turkey, India, Brazil, China, the UK, the UAE, Jordan, Thailand, Aruba, and South Africa were added to the list of "approved" countries. The list of countries was approved by the Russian government's resolution on May 9, 2022, in response to sanctions from the US, Canada, and the EU against the Russian aviation industry. Before the sanctions, only so-called airworthiness certificates from the US, EU, Canada, Bermuda, and Ireland were recognized in Russia.
