US Department of Commerce revokes export privileges from Smartavia

The US Department of Commerce has withdrawn export privileges from Russian airline Smartavia for six months due to violations of export controls, follows from materials on the website of the department.

Now airlines are prohibited from exporting and re-exporting components made in the USA, including through intermediaries in third countries. The limitation period may be extended.

Similar measures have been taken against the Russians Oleg Patsuli and Vasily Besedin. While living in the US, they attempted to purchase more than $2 million worth of US-origin civil aircraft parts, including wheels, tires and brake systems, from a US supplier last fall, according to the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE).

Previously Patsulu and Besedina detained, they are accused of conspiring to violate export control regulations and money laundering. According to The New York Times, they were able to send over $14.4 million worth of spare parts to Russia.

In June 2022, US DOC deprived export privileges of Nordwind Airlines, Pobeda and S7, at the end of May – Rossiya. In April of the same year, the United States imposed export sanctions against Russian airlines.AeroflotAzur Air and Utair for violating export controls imposed in response to the military operation in Ukraine.

After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, Western countries imposed sanctions, which, among other things, affected the Russian aviation industry. Unfriendly countries have closed the skies for Russian aircraft, Russia has introduced mirror measures. Russian carriers were forbidden to purchase foreign-made aircraft and spare parts for them, as well as to carry out maintenance and insurance of aircraft. Foreign lessors demanded that domestic airlines return the leased aircraft, but by decision of the Russian authorities, most of the aircraft remained inside the country.