Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 22, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleRussia urges global aviation leaders to lift sanctions affecting aircraft safety, highlighting the critical need for spare parts amid the Ukraine conflict.
By Gleb Stolyarov and Allison Lampert
(Reuters) -Russia is urging aviation leaders gathering this week in Montreal to ease sanctions on spare parts and overflights, dismissing a largely global response to the war in Ukraine as "unlawful coercive measures," according to working papers and a source familiar with the matter.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western sanctions have cut off access to foreign-made aircraft and spare parts, leaving Russian airlines to source parts for more than 700 mostly Airbus and Boeing jets on complex, indirect import routes.
Russian authorities are now trying to negotiate relief from sanctions, particularly on spare parts, which they say are critical for flight safety, a source in Russia's aviation sector told Reuters.
Russia is making a case to regulators and other delegates at the triennial assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization which opens on Tuesday and runs through October 3.
The U.N.'s ICAO sets global safety standards for civil aviation and its council has condemned Moscow for violating Ukraine's airspace sovereignty and its dual registration of aircraft.
Russia made its request after the United States lifted sanctions on Belarusian state carrier Belavia last week that had been imposed following Minsk's support for Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine.
In working papers submitted before the assembly, Moscow said the sanctions run counter to global rules. Russia is also trying to gain election to ICAO's 36-state governing council after failing to win enough votes in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.
Its efforts are already generating opposition.
"Canada is aware of Russia’s candidacy for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) council and does not support Russia’s election to this body," said a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada on Saturday.
As the world's largest country, Russia depends heavily on commercial aircraft for domestic freight and passenger transport across its 11 time zones, but recent incidents suggest Russia's fleet is degrading.
In late July, a Soviet-era Antonov An-24, built in 1976, crashed in Russia's far east, killing all 48 people on board. Days later, Russian flag carrier Aeroflot grounded dozens of flights following a crippling cyberattack.
"Unlawful coercive measures violate the human right to freedom of movement regardless of nationality and citizenship," one Russian paper said.
"The ICAO is required to take all practical measures to prevent states from applying politically biased discriminatory and coercive measures in the field of international civil aviation."
AGING AIRCRAFT
The documents also criticise the closure of 37 states' airspace to flight operations of Russian airlines and bans on aircraft maintenance and insurance.
Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsiya did not respond to a Reuters request for comment and the Transport Ministry declined to comment. Ukrainian authorities were not immediately available to comment.
Russia's fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft is aging, and not all parts can be imported through so-called "grey" schemes, the Russian aviation source told Reuters, meaning a significant portion of Western aircraft could be grounded.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov and Allison Lampert, Editing by Robert Harvey, Timothy Heritage and Sharon Singleton)
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that sets global standards for civil aviation safety, security, efficiency, and environmental protection.
Flight safety refers to the measures and regulations in place to ensure the safety of aircraft operations, including maintenance, pilot training, and adherence to safety protocols.
An aging aircraft is an aircraft that has been in service for a long time, often facing increased maintenance challenges and safety concerns due to wear and tear.
Dual registration of aircraft refers to the practice of registering an aircraft in more than one country, which can complicate legal and operational responsibilities.
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