State Aviation Supervision (Gosaviatnadzor) has reported a trend of serious violations in civil aviation, including the mass approval of aircraft with technical malfunctions. Vladimir Kovalsky, head of the agency, made this statement at the “SLG 2.0: Updated Rules of the Game” session at the NAIS-2026 forum. He stated that these are not isolated incidents, but a systemic problem in the aviation industry. According to the agency, between 2023 and 2025, the operation of more than 480 aircraft was grounded for varying periods until the identified violations were corrected. This represents approximately half of the entire aircraft fleet, which the Ministry of Transport estimated at approximately 1,000 aircraft. This situation, the head of Gosaviatnadzor emphasized, compels the state to implement stricter control measures.
The agency records instances of failure to fully comply with airworthiness directives, as well as the clearance of aircraft for operation with incomplete maintenance and unresolved defects, Kovalsky noted. Inspections also uncover instances of modifications, upgrades, and structural repairs being carried out in violation of requirements and without the involvement of authorized organizations. The regulatory agency is particularly concerned about the practice of fictitious work.
According to the head of the State Aviation Supervision Service, the industry is seeing a “lowering threshold for acceptable violations,” with falsifications being explained as not affecting flight safety.
“Any violation is unacceptable. But for some unscrupulous participants, the threshold of acceptability is lowering ever lower: ‘Yes, we falsified the data, but it doesn’t affect security.’ Where next?” Kovalsky said.
The rise in aviation incidents, which reached a six-year high last year, forced authorities to seek emergency solutions. In 2024, Russia approached several countries to lease aircraft for domestic flights, and in 2025, a similar request was made to Ethiopian Airlines. However, the carrier declined, citing the risk of violating US law.
Safety concerns are compounded by the rapid decline in the aircraft fleet due to sanctions. Last fall, Dmitry Yadrov, head of the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), announced that, according to a pessimistic forecast, 109 foreign-made aircraft could be decommissioned by 2030. Overall, he estimates that civil aviation risks losing up to a third of its fleet within the next six years.
In addition to Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which are gradually becoming obsolete and being dismantled for spare parts, approximately 230 domestically produced aircraft aged 40–60 years are slated for write-off. Additionally, approximately 200 helicopters are planned for retirement. According to Rosaviatsia, the Russian airline fleet consists of 1,135 aircraft, of which 1,088 are in operation.
Amid sanctions and equipment shortages, the authorities launched a program to accelerate the revival of the aviation industry, hoping to increase civilian aircraft production to post-Soviet levels. However, in reality, only 13 new aircraft were added to the fleet between 2022 and 2025: 12 Superjets and one Tu-214. In 2025, only one of the 15 planned passenger aircraft was delivered to carriers.
(C)THE MOSCOW TIMES 2026