Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, plans to purchase five Boeing 737-800BCF freighter aircraft for disassembly to obtain spare parts, according to a report by Russian state media outlet Kommersant on Dec. 6.
The aircraft are reportedly destined for Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary, Pobeda. However, converting the freighters from cargo to passenger use has been deemed “unreasonably expensive” due to ongoing Western sanctions, Kommersant sources stated. Instead, Aeroflot intends to extract critical components such as engines, landing gear, and avionics to support its existing fleet.
The move highlights the severe strain on the Russian aviation sector caused by Western sanctions imposed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions have restricted access to aircraft, parts, and maintenance support, forcing Russian airlines to adopt unconventional strategies to maintain operations.
Aeroflot has not commented on the report, but industry analysts note that cannibalizing aircraft for parts reflects the broader challenges facing the country’s aviation industry under the sanctions regime.
