Nine airlines stopped flights in Russia in 2022

Nine airlines stopped flying in RUSSIA in 2022, Kommersant calculated based on Rosaviatsia's registry data.

The air operator certificates of four airlines (Bystrolet, Kamchatka, Rostvertol Avia and SkyGates) were suspended, with the last three applying themselves. "Kamchatka" manufacturer from the usadenied delivery of three Cessna Grand Caravans, and two Sky Gates Boeing 747s are now operated in Azerbaijan by Silk Way affiliate West Airlines. Rostvertol Avia, which until last year belonged to Russian Helicopters, filed a suspension application because it was left with one helicopter. According to a Kommersant interlocutor close to Rostec, the project “did not take off initially,” and due to difficulties with spare parts, the problems worsened. According to another source in Rostec, at the end of 2022 the company was sold to a private owner. Petersburg "Bystrolet" was unable to start flights: the regulator suspended the certificate due to lack of aircraft.

As the publication notes, in most cases, the suspension of the certificate ends in cancellation, and after the cancellation the document is not restored.

The certificate of the bankrupt company "Skol" was canceled. Back in 2021, the Federal Air Transport Agency banned the carrier from operating 30 helicopters and five light-engine L-410s due to debts. The Sirius-Aero certificate was also canceled: the company is no longer in the register.

Royal Flight, as well as cargo Atran and AirBridgeCargo (part of Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies), have stopped flights due to sanctions, but so far retain their air operator certificates.

In 2022, several new companies received certificates: Jetika, Gagarin Research Institute of TsPK, Arktika, Azimuth, Globus, ChukotAVIA, Khabarovsk Airlines.

Over the previous five years (2017–2021), Rosaviatsia suspended and then canceled the certificates of five airlines: Buryat Airlines, VIM-Avia, Saratov Airlines, pioneer Regional Airlines and Pskov Avia.

The US and the EU closed the skies for Russian aircraft and imposed restrictions on the EXPORT of aviation products to Russia, and demanded that all leased aircraft be returned to lessors in connection with the start of a military operation in Ukraine. Since the end of February, the US Department of Commerce has been expanding the sanctions list of Russian aircraft that are prohibited from servicing abroad.

In response, the Federal Air Transport Agency recommended that Russian airlines not operate flights abroad on foreign leased aircraft. President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the possibility of registering rights to foreign aircraft leased from Russian companies.