Sanctions hit Russia's reactivation of stored aircraft with US equipment

Published: 11-08-2023 Sanctions hit Russia's reactivation of stored aircraft with US equipment

Aug 11, 2023 (newstodate): Compensating for the ban on import of western aircraft, Ilyushin Finance Co is supposed to restore the airworthiness of 11 currently grounded aircraft during 2023-2024.
   The process has, however, run into serious problems concerning so far eight Tu-204 and Tu-214 aircraft.
   -Sanctions jeopardize the execution of the government’s instructions, Mikhail Podkhvatilin, general director of Ilyushin Finance Co, says in an interview with Russian media.
   At stake are the inflatable evacuation slides manufactured by the US company Zodiac Aero Evacuation Systems, activated by compressed air cylinders.
   The shelf life of the cylinders is 15 years, but Ilyushin Finance Co. has only overdue equipment on the shelf.
   The Russian regulator Rosaviatsia has therefore denied the certification of the equipment and the airworthiness of the aircraft.
   Efforts are now made to design and manufacture a Russian substitute for the evacuation ladders, but this process is expected to be completed not earlier than by mid-2025.

newstodate.aero