Russia Restricting Access to Boeing and Airbus Airliners
Pobeda Airlines Boeing 737-800s feature "Max-like" split scimitar winglets from Aviation Partners Boeing. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov) The Kremlin appears to have begun taking practical steps to narrow local carriers's choices in new, expensive equipment made outside of the country, a move that high-ranking government officials heralded a couple of years ago. This month, the Kremlin denied an import license to Aeroflot low-fare subsidiary Pobeda for 30 additional Boeing 737 Max jetliners. Meanwhile, the Airbus A220-300 failed to acquire local certification, effectively stalling plans by Moscow-based Red Wings’ to take six of the narrowbodies from a local lessor. The turning point hinged on an export-import policy passed last year, when the Kremlin ruled that any airline with a large government stake should apply to the Commission for Import Substitution for permission to buy imported jetliners in any deal valued more than 1 billion rubles ($15.6 million). However, u...