The decline in air traffic and the “aviation crisis”

May 2022 was a key moment for Russian aviation. After the imposition of sanctions, most foreign lessors demanded the return of the aircraft, and manufacturers Boeing and Airbus refused to service Russian aircraft. Spare parts, software and certification have become unavailable. Russian airlines found themselves in a unique situation: more than 500 leased aircraft became “non-returnable”, their status turned out to be semi-legal, which led to the threat of international sanctions. Russia began “cannibalization” - dismantling some aircraft into parts to maintain others. Many international routes were closed, and domestic routes became more expensive. Passenger traffic of Ural, S7 and Aeroflot decreased, and the regions faced restrictions on flights. May marked the beginning of a long crisis in air travel - the industry realized that it could no longer count on Western technologies, services and partners.