European Union to Block Aircraft and Parts Sales to Russia

The European Union (EU) has announced that it will be placing new sanctions on Russia, including banning the sales of aircraft and spare parts. This would mean that Russia’s aircraft fleet, which includes European manufacturer Airbus, won’t be able to purchase necessary parts. President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, tweeted yesterday confirming the ban. 

The EU Press Conference

Ms. von der Leyen also stated that three-quarters of Russia’s aviation fleet is made in; the European Union, the United States or Canada and that the ban can mean their fleet could soon be grounded.

The United States has also announced similar sanctions on Russia, including aircraft parts. These sanctions will primarily affect Russia as their flag carrier, Aeroflot, has a fleet of American manufactured aircraft Boeing. President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), Eric Fanning, stated:

“Notably, we believe that sanctions and export control activities should not hinder the need to maintain flight safety of commercial aircraft,”

Airspace Bans

As the UK and Russia both banned each other’s airlines from flying in their airspace, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have had to reroute their flights to avoid Russian airspace. Virgin Atlantic said that this airspace ban would add between 15 minutes to an hour to flights from the UK and India and Pakistan. British Airways flight BA142 from New Delhi to London also had to reroute, adding an additional 896km and 1 hour flight time.

EU countries have also banned Russian airlines from using their airspace, which has caused reroutes for Russia. Aeroflot flight number SU2466, from Moscow to Budapest, had to add 70 minutes of flight time in order to avoid flying over Poland and Czechia.

What are your thoughts on the EU’s ban on aircraft and parts to Russia? Let us know in the comments below.