Russia Turns to Vietnam for Passenger Jets As Its Fleet Deteriorates

Russia is seeking passenger aircraft and the staff to operate them from Vietnam as maintenance problems erode the Western-built fleet it retained after invading Ukraine.

Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin said Hanoi was considering a Russian proposal for Vietnamese airlines to lease aircraft on a wet-lease basis.

Such contracts provide the plane, crew, maintenance, and insurance.

The request comes as Russian industry figures show 130 of the 673 aircraft belonging to the country’s 11 largest airlines are out of service.

That puts the idle share at nearly 20%, roughly twice the normal rate.

Sanctions Complicate Leasing

Vietnam’s principal airline flies only Airbus and Boeing jets.

Any arrangement involving its aircraft would therefore depend on Western-built equipment, exposing participating companies to potential U.S. penalties for supporting Russian carriers’ operation of sanctioned aircraft types.

Ethiopia has already rejected a comparable request because of that risk. Russian approaches elsewhere in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have yet to secure aircraft.

The Vietnamese proposal would bring external maintenance support and additional capacity to airlines struggling to keep their existing fleets operational.

Retained Aircraft, Shrinking Capacity

Moscow authorized domestic registration of more than 400 foreign-leased aircraft after sanctions followed its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Airlines kept the jets rather than surrendering them to their overseas owners.

International aviation rules prohibit an aircraft from holding two registrations simultaneously.

Russia’s re-registration measures breached that requirement, but the International Civil Aviation Organization has no mechanism to force the aircraft’s return.

Lessors have sought about $8 billion through insurance claims. Many disputes remain unresolved.

Russia entered the war with a commercial fleet heavily dependent on foreign manufacturers and financing.

About 850 of its 900 aircraft were Boeing or Airbus models, and roughly 85% of those were leased from overseas companies.

Sanctions restricting Western components and technical support have since pushed airlines to dismantle some aircraft to repair others.

That practice also presents certification problems. International airworthiness requirements demand a documented, certified maintenance record for each component.

Parts taken from aircraft outside Western-certified maintenance systems cannot legally be fitted to jets operating internationally.

Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation regulator, has certified those components domestically.

Neither U.S. nor EU aviation authorities recognize the approvals.

The pressure is greater outside the Aeroflot group. Other airlines have 93 of their combined 322 aircraft idle, approaching 30% of their fleets.

Fuel Limits Add Pressure

Aircraft availability is only part of the problem. Verstka reported refueling restrictions at at least 26 major Russian airports.

Several airports, including those serving St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, limit supplies to the amount required for one flight.

Sochi, Volgograd, and Astrakhan have imposed restrictions on all carriers.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries have curtailed fuel output.

Moscow has responded by restricting exports of aviation fuel.

Meanwhile, the transport and industry ministries are discussing a passenger charge with state defense conglomerate Rostec to help finance the acquisition and operation of Russian-made aircraft, according to Russian media.

The proposed levy could reach 500 rubles on domestic tickets and 1,000 rubles on international journeys.

Russia’s MC-21 and Tu-214 passenger jets cost substantially more to operate than the Boeing and Airbus models they are intended to replace, leaving airlines dependent on government support or passenger subsidies.

Analysts warn that passing those costs into fares could depress demand and weaken airline revenues, adding financial pressure to the fleet problems driving Moscow’s request to Vietnam.