Russian authorities have invited airlines from Kazakhstan, plus other as-yet unnamed countries that have good relations with Russian carriers. to operate in its domestic air travel market, according to The Moscow Times.
This measure would come in response to the limitations in the number of passenger aircraft currently operational within the fleets of Russian airlines.
Russia’s passenger aircraft fleet has been reduced by close to 100 aircraft since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Russia’s total airliner fleet, which numbered around 850 aircraft in early 2022, currently stands at 736 operational airframes.
While Russian airlines have managed to retain many of the aircraft that were on lease from Western firms, sanctions have made it very difficult to procure new aircraft. They have also hampered the ability of Russian firms to access the necessary parts and spares to keep their fleets flying.
Through its aerospace and defense holding Rostec, the Russian government has launched a program of imports substitution which aims to gradually replace the country’s airliner fleets with domestically produced models, such as the Tu-214, which is based on a Soviet-era design, and the more modern Superjet SSJ100 and MC-21 (the latter of which is still yet enter service). However, production and delivery rates have so far fallen short of expectations, and production targets for 2025 have been cut from 82 aircraft to just 20.
It is unclear as yet whether airlines from Kazakhstan or other countries will step in to make up for the potential capacity shortfall.
Logistically, it could be easy for Kazakh airlines to extend their operations to areas of Russia neighboring their home country. However, air links between the two countries have also been affected by the war in Ukraine.
Kazakhstan’s largest airline, Air Astana, is listed in the London Stock Exchange and has British aerospace firm BAE as one of its major shareholders. It left the Russian market right after the invasion of Ukraine and has since avoided flying over Russia’s airspace, as does its wholly owned low-cost subsidiary, Fly Arystan.
Another Kazakh airline, privately-owned SCAT, has since become the main Kazakh operator in the Russian market, taking over many of the air routes between the two countries.