Air Cargo Carriers Warn of Risk of Complete Fleet Shutdown within Three Years

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In the next three to five years, air cargo companies may leave the market if their current issues are not addressed. This was discussed at a roundtable in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, attended by representatives of airlines and regulators, as reported by Kommersant.

In particular, airlines see threats to their operations due to the aging fleet, shortage of spare parts, lack of personnel (from pilots to technicians), high repair costs, and unfair competition from foreign airlines.

Currently, there are about 100 cargo aircraft in operation in Russia, with around 30 belonging to state entities. It was noted that since 2022, due to the withdrawal of foreign aircraft, the fleet of Russian carriers has halved, and the number of major players has decreased from nine to seven, with 28 aircraft (mostly of domestic production) in airworthy condition. Approximately the same number of aircraft are grounded due to maintenance issues. Prior to 2022, international air cargo accounted for more than 85% of the total freight turnover of Russian air carriers.

Industry participants propose that the authorities take several measures to preserve the industry: extend the life of aircraft, limit price dumping by foreign carriers, introduce price controls on spare parts, expedite the export of engines for repair abroad, and provide subsidies for flights in the amount of 10 billion rubles per year. In their opinion, without government support, the industry will not be able to survive more than five years and will not "make it" until the start of mass deliveries of new domestic aircraft.