Russian Airlines Reactivate Old Jets Amid Deep Funding Cuts and Spare Parts Shortage

Russian airlines are set to bring older planes back into service in 2026-27 as the country grapples with a growing aircraft shortage and a deepening aviation crisis.

The restoration program includes 12 aircraft: nine Tu-204-214 jets, one An-148, and two Il-96s. Work on the fleet began in 2022, and 10 of the planes are already operational, Russian media Izvestia reported on Monday, citing state corporation Rostec.

At the same time, carriers are reactivating foreign aircraft to fill gaps. Rossiya Airlines, for example, plans to expand its fleet of two-deck Boeing 747s inherited from the bankrupt Transaero.

Two are already flying; a third, a 24‑year‑old aircraft was restored in November 2025, and a fourth is expected by 2027, with some refurbishment possibly taking place in Moscow’s allied countries, including Iran.

The push to reactivate older planes comes amid sharp cuts in Russian government funding.

In 2026, Moscow plans to slash federal aircraft and helicopter production spending by 1.6 times, from 139.6 billion rubles ($1.7 billion) to 85.7 billion rubles ($1 billion), according to Russian media citing the draft federal budget for 2026-28.

Subsidies for airlines to renew their domestic fleets will be eliminated entirely, down from 1.3 billion rubles ($16 million) in 2025.

Support for aircraft maintenance is set to drop from 6.1 billion rubles ($75 million) to 3.6 billion ($44 million). Only the MC-21 medium-haul jet will see increased funding, with subsidies rising 25% in 2026.

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Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine have cut the country off from foreign-built aircraft and spare parts, leaving airlines to operate aging fleets through shadowy import channels or by “cannibalizing” other planes.

Dmitry Yadrov, the head of Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsiya, has warned that more than 100 foreign aircraft could be grounded in the coming years. By 2030, 109 foreign-built planes may be retired.

As of October 2025, Russian airlines were operating 1,088 of their 1,135 aircraft, with 67% foreign-made. Experts told The Moscow Times that reviving mothballed planes is critical to meeting passenger demand.