After sanctions were imposed banning the export of any aircraft or their spare parts from the EU or the US to Russia, it was only a matter of time before airlines had to reduce their aircraft fleets in order to continue operations. It is reported that the leading airline carrier, Aeroflot, has begun dismantling parts of one of its brand-new Airbus A350 planes.
On Tuesday, four sources from the aviation industry told Reuters that Russian airlines have started dismantling some aircraft to service others, as they try to keep their remaining fleets airworthy. These are the first reports of the ongoing process, although it was speculated to happen at some point. One source stated that at least one Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100, which, despite being made in Russia, still contains foreign-made parts, and one Airbus A350 flight are currently being dismantled.
Just ten flights had taken place before they were all suspended
Currently, two Airbus A350-900 planes belonging to Aeroflot are parked at the airport, according to Planespotters.net. As the Reuters source claims that the aforementioned A350 is “almost new”, the corresponding aircraft is VP-BYF. It is somewhat ironic, but also tragic, that it was delivered from Toulouse-Blagnac to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on February 24, the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine.
Additionally, it has been reported that Aeroflot has removed at least one engine from an SSJ100 and installed it on another aircraft. The airline is also said to be using parts from several Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 planes to service other planes of the same models.
Planes that never flew
Aeroflot had ordered 22 Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The first one was delivered in February 2020. However, the airline only received seven of these aircraft before the war started. Therefore, Airbus found new customers for the jets intended for Aeroflot. Four have already been delivered to Turkish Airlines, and two more are on the way.
The five remaining aircraft that are still active are used by Aeroflot for domestic flights to Krasnoyarsk and Sochi. Three of the aircraft are leased, two from SMBC and one, the first to be delivered, from Aurum Leasing. Japan’s SMBC wrote off $1.6 billion after losing control of 34 aircraft operated by Russian airlines.
Source: https://simpleflying.com/aerflot-airbus-a350-spare-parts/