Russian carriers have reduced flights on Czech aircraft due to a shortage of spare parts

Russian air carriers using Czech twin-engine L-410 aircraft have reduced the number of flights due to a shortage of spare parts, writes RBC. The model is produced by the Czech Aircraft Industries. Until April 2022, 100% of the shares of the aircraft plant belonged to the Russian company Ostov, owned by Russian businessman Andrey Kozitsyn.

The impossibility to carry out the activities necessary to maintain the airworthiness of the L-410 is reported in the minutes of the meeting of the working group “Development of air transportation and regional airports” of the State Council commission in the direction of “transport” dated March 30, 2023. The situation led to a reduction in traffic, a decrease in passenger traffic and significant costs for airlines, the protocol states.

The working group recommended that the administrations of the subjects where the L-410 is operated (the aircraft is used mainly in remote areas) take measures to maintain transport accessibility. Including with the help of other modes of transport.

Until 2018, the Aircraft Industries aircraft plant belonged to the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company. In 2018, the owner of the plant, according to RBC, Andrey Kozitsyn became the general director of UMMC. In April 2022, 100% of the company’s shares were bought by the Czech Omnipol.

The European Union (EU) applied sanctions against the Russian aviation industry on February 26, 2022. How wrote “Kommersant”, in practice, the restrictions have actually deprived Russian airlines of the opportunity to use European aircraft. In July 2022 EU weakened restrictions, but not much.

More about the Czech model – in the material “Kommersant” “What is known about the aircraft L-410”.

Grigory Leiba