Russian airlines weakened by sanctions operate with 19% of fleets grounded

Airlines Aeroflot Airbus A330 200
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Russian airlines weakened by international sanctions are currently operating with around 19% of their aircraft fleets grounded this summer, according to research by Kommersant.

On June 29, 2026, the news outlet reported that across 11 Russian airlines, which account for over 90% of all travel, 130 of 673 aircraft were out of action with maintenance requirements the main driver.

According to Kommersant, when the Russia-owned Aeroflot group (Aeroflot, Rossiya and Pobeda) of airlines are removed from the list, the number of grounded aircraft rises to a third of available fleets.

Industry sources told the newspaper that typically the average rate is for around 10% of aircraft to be on the ground, awaiting repair during the summer.

Based on data from Flightradar24 and other sources, Kommersant claimed Aeroflot had 4% of its fleet on the ground and Rossiya Airlines had 22%. Pobeda Airlines currently operates its entire fleet.

S7 Airlines Airbus A319 jet
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The aircraft grounded include both Airbus and Boeing planes, with some placed in storage.

A third of S7 Airlines’ fleet is not operating this summer, including 32 A320neo family aircraft, while Ural Airlines has grounded 10 (19%) of its 51 aircraft. Utair had nine (15%) planes grounded, Nordwind Airlines 12 (44%) and Smartavia 13 (23%).

Azur Air has six aircraft flying from a possible 23 following an investigation by the aviation regulator into engine issues.

Finally, Red Wings has five (19%) of its 26 planes grounded, and 21% of Azimut’s fleet is non-operational.

Sources that Kommersant spoke to suggested that considering Russia has faced over four years of the current situation was a “good indicator” of the industry’s resilience.

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