Russia Produced Only 7 of 108 Projected Planes Since 2022, BBC Reports

In 2022, Russia announced plans to produce 108 passenger planes. However, due to the imposing of Western sanctions in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—particularly those targeting the foreign components on which Russian aviation heavily depends—Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation managed to produce only 7 such planes to date, according to the BBC.

In June 2022, the Russian government announced an ambitious program to produce more than 1,000 planes by 2030, in an effort to transition to domestic production. The plan projected the production of 14 planes by the end of 2022, 25 in 2023, and 69 in 2024. However, this program quickly had to be revised due to supply shortages.

The 7 planes that were completed are Sukhoi Superjet 100s, reportedly assembled using pre-war stocks of components. Additionally, over nearly 3 years of war, Russia has produced just 1 prototype each of the Il-96-400M and Il-114. These aircraft are not used for commercial flights but are limited to testing purposes.

Russia is now attempting to replace foreign engines in its Superjets and other models, while also resuming production of outdated aircraft, such as the Il-96-300 and Tu-214. Currently, resources that could have supported the building of civilian planes are being diverted to the manufacturing and repair of military aircraft.

As of mid-November, Russian airlines have grounded 34 out of 66 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft in their fleets. The reason for this decision is the difficulty with maintaining US-made Pratt & Whitney engines, which are linked to sanctions imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Industry insiders predict that, without repairs in Russia, Airbus planes will begin to be retired from service en masse starting around 2026. Currently, the A320/A321neo models account for about 10% of Russia’s foreign-made long-haul aircraft fleet.

Step by step, sanctions are reducing Russia’s access to critical components from the EU and the US—those enabling Russian aircraft, missiles, and drones to take flight. These components have become significantly more expensive and less accessible, often replaced by Chinese alternatives. However, the absence of global export controls means imports through third countries continue to thrive. In 2023, these imports reached $27.6 billion, reflecting the success of sanctions evasion through China, Thailand, the UAE, and others.