US's Plane Game with Russia

The head of the US Russia chamber of Commerce Robert Agee recently said that Boeing was looking to return to Russia and he hoped that relations between the two countries would improver dramtically
So why is the US  currently holding onto $500 million worth of aircraft parts purchased by Russia, whic Moscow is interested in unblocking their supplies, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov told Izvestia. He also confirmed Russia's readiness to address the issue of recognizing repairs to Airbus and Boeing aircraft carried out under sanctions. Concurrently, Russia is developing its own aviation industry to reduce reliance on Western parts, with the government allocating over 770 billion rubles to the program to develop this industry until 2030. It remains to be seen whether the issue of "aviation" sanctions will be included in the agenda for forthcoming Russian-American negotiations. Izvestia reports.

The Russian government is keen to secure the unblocking of supplies of spare parts from the USA.The United States is currently holding back aircraft parts purchased by Russia worth half a million dollars, and Russia is interested in unblocking the supply of these parts, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov told Izvestia.

He stated that Russia has approximately $500 million worth of spare parts in the US that are currently unavailable for use due to restrictions, despite having already been paid for. As representatives of consumers, we would be interested in unblocking the supply of these parts. This would be a significant development," Anton Alikhanov told Izvestia.
Furthermore, the Russian government is open to the idea of recognising the repair work carried out by Russian companies on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, despite the absence of formal verification from the relevant foreign manufacturers. This perspective was conveyed to Izvestia by the Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

He added that the ministry would work on a range of issues if it was in their interests. For instance, we are considering the recognition of repair work carried out on foreign aircraft, specifically Airbus and Boeing, which were repaired by Russian companies, respectively, under sanctions without the appropriate verification of licenses from foreign manufacturers. This is a subject that we are interested in pursuing. Anton Alikhanov has summed up.
Izvestia requested that the US Department of Commerce and the US Department of the Treasury clarify which aircraft parts are currently being held by the United States.

Avionics components that are typically only serviceable by the manufacturer are of significant importance to the Russian aviation industry. For instance, the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System), which is manufactured and repaired mainly by the American company Honeywell. Andrey Patrakov, founder of the flight safety and certification service RunAvia, has also highlighted the importance of consumables, i.e. spare parts used in aircraft operation, such as brake discs, tires, and engine parts.
It is likely that the list of spare parts withheld by the US also includes equipment required for the aviation industry. For instance, a high-precision machine can cost between $10-30 million, as Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of the Avia.ru portal, informed Izvestia.
The request for verification of repairs of foreign aircraft, which were carried out by Russian companies, is also justified. During the operation of foreign aircraft, Russian companies are permitted to utilise not only spare parts from manufacturers, but also certified parts from third-party suppliers.

It is noteworthy that some of our enterprises have attained proficiency in the production of spare parts for foreign airliners. The Russian Aviation Administration (Rosaviatsia) has certified them. Furthermore, Roman Gusarov has noted that Rosaviatsia also oversees the maintenance of foreign aircraft.
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There have been instances in the past where foreign policy considerations have led to the termination of cooperation. For instance, following the 2008 Russian operation to secure peace in Georgia, Pratt & Whitney Canada declined to collaborate with Russia on the Mi-38 helicopter program, as Oleg Panteleev, executive director of the AviaPort agency and aviation expert, informed Izvestia.

Furthermore, Mikhail Mironyuk, associate professor at the Department of Politics and Management at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, informed Izvestia that the US and the EU, in conjunction with Japan, had utilised the block on the transfer of aircraft parts for Russian aircraft even prior to 2022, when supplies of components for the composite "black wing" of the MS-21 aircraft were terminated.
Following the initiation of the SVO, Western countries implemented substantial restrictions on the Russian aviation industry. Notably, the US and the EU closed their airspaces to Russian aircraft, excepting only humanitarian and search-and-rescue flights. Russia reciprocated by closing its airspace to flights from 36 countries, including the entire European Union and Canada.

Furthermore, the US Department of Commerce imposed restrictions on the export and re-export of goods for Russian airlines Aeroflot, Azur Air and Utair. In June 2022, the United States revoked export privileges for Nordwind Airlines, Pobeda and S7, and at the end of May for Rossiya. In May 2023, similar measures were taken against Smartavia. The restrictions imposed by Washington prohibit the export and re-export of components manufactured in the United States, including through intermediaries in third countries.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the interaction between the Russian Federation and the United States in this area. Robert Agee, head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, stated in early March that American businesses in Russia are awaiting the lifting of "aviation" sanctions that prohibit aircraft maintenance and spare parts supplies.

In February, at a meeting in Istanbul, the Russian delegation proposed to their American colleagues the initiation of a dialogue on the resumption of direct flights. The new Russian ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, has stated his intention to "substantially address" the issue of resuming flights between the two countries. It is also noteworthy that American industrialists have expressed interest in Russian components, with imports of Russian aircraft parts reaching a three-year high in November 2024.

In the face of mounting Western sanctions, Russia is developing its own aircraft production. The government has allocated over 770 billion rubles for the aviation industry development program until 2030. Vladimir Putin has ordered that the share of domestically produced aircraft in the fleets of Russian companies be increased to at least 50% by 2030.
The impact of US and EU sanctions on the Russian aviation industry has proven to be multidimensional. The fleet of imported aircraft is ageing, with some aircraft currently in storage and undergoing repairs. However, these repairs are unauthorised, and engine replacement is not currently possible (only repairs are permitted). Mikhail Mironyuk emphasised the significance of these issues.

However, he has confirmed that there are new projects underway that will be implemented. While these projects may not be as large-scale as initially planned, they are nonetheless set to take flight. There are plans to re-engine the SSJ-100 and develop the MC-21. The primary concern at this point is the volume of production, as emphasised by the expert.

The expert concluded by stating that the "end of the world" did not come because of the sanctions, but rather because an understanding has been reached that the previous development model was destructive.

Western sanctions are most impactful on the supply of CFM-56 engines, which are used in the most popular aircraft of the Boeing B737 and Airbus A320 families. These engines are produced by CFM International, a joint venture between the US and the EU. Andrey Patrakov has clarified that even if the US lifts the sanctions, the EU ban on supplying spare parts for these engines will remain in place.
The issue of cooperation in the civil aviation sphere may become a topic for negotiations between Russia and the United States. Earlier, Moscow and Washington initiated discussions on rare earth metals, as Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special representative of the president for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, informed Izvestia. Given Russia's high economic efficiency, it is improbable that compromises on the abolition of restrictions will be made in exchange for some concessions from the Russian Federation, according to political scientist and deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of Moscow State Pedagogical University, Vladimir Shapovalov.

In this context, new contacts between Russia and the United States are anticipated. According to NBC, Donald Trump is planning another telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin in the near future. In addition, a new round of consultations between Moscow and Washington on settling the conflict in Ukraine may take place in Riyadh in mid-April, according to media reports.
During the previous meeting, Russia and the United States reached a consensus on ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, prohibiting the use of force, and preventing the utilisation of commercial vessels for military purposes. In response, Washington committed to helping restore access for Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports to the global market. This will require the lifting of sanctions on Rosselkhozbank and other organisations involved in international food trade operations.

To initiate this process, the EU must also agree to lift sanctions on Rosselkhozbank, as it is the body responsible for disconnecting banks from the SWIFT system. Brussels has already refused to lift the restrictions, stating that the sanctions will remain in effect until the "complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory." The US has presented a compelling case to shift Europe's stance, but the question remains whether Washington will act on these arguments. There are no signs yet that it will take such steps, Shapovalov noted.
Following the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration, Russia and the United States have resumed dialogue on a wide range of issues. Notably, on 12 February, the leaders of the two nations engaged in their inaugural telephonic conversation since 2022. This was followed by a further telephone conversation between the two leaders on 18 March. In February, Moscow and Washington reached an agreement to restore full-time diplomatic staff in each other's embassies. Furthermore, at the end of February, the delegations engaged in further discussions in Istanbul, Turkey, concerning the restoration of normal operations for diplomatic missions. Following this, the Russian ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, was appointed.