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Updated April 11th, 2023 at 07:59 IST

Russian Airlines sends plane to Iran for maintenance due to US, EU sanctions

Aeroflot confirmed plane arrived in Iran and that Mahan Air had "the necessary equipment and facilities, certificates and vast experience” for maintenance.

Reported by: Digital Desk
Russia
IMAGE: AP/PTI | Image:self
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Russia’s largest carrier Aeroflot has been forced to send one of its Airbus A330-300s to Iran for repair due to crippling Western sanctions that not only ban Russian planes from and to Russia but also restrict the maintenance of aircraft owned by Russian airlines. For the first time, a Russian airline had no option but to send one of its aircraft A330-300 to Iran for repair, and maintenance by the Iranian airline Mahan Air, RBC reported. The Russian aircraft landed in the Islamic Republic on April 5.

In a statement released later, Aeroflot confirmed that the plane arrived in Iran and that Iran Mahan Air had "the necessary equipment and facilities, certificates and vast experience” to conduct the assigned tasks. The maintenance is expected to be performed “to a high level of quality," Aeroflot noted. After Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine last February, the European Union and the US imposed hardening sanctions on the Russian airline industry.

As per the embargo, Russian aircraft are banned from entering the EU and the US airspace. The sale of spare parts, and maintaining and insuring planes are also effectively banned. The sanctions forced the international leasing companies to end all aircraft leases to Russian carriers and deny maintenance to the existing fleet. 

Russia, Iran signed a bilateral agreement for aviation equipment supply in 2022

In July 2022, Russia and Iran signed a bilateral agreement for the supply of equipment and spare parts, repair and maintenance for Russia's aviation industry. The two allies have increased the number of passenger flights to and from Russia and Iran to an estimated 35 per week. As per the new agreement, the two countries now operate unlimited cargo flights without any capacity restrictions, and Iran also provides logistics services for supporting of Russian planes.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Moscow was announced by a spokesman for the Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation Mir-Akbar Razavi. The aviation deal was later followed by a separate agreement between Tehran and Moscow to supply Russia's invading forces in Kyiv with drones to sustain's Kremlin's war offensive that focuses on the conquer of the contentious eastern Donbass region. 

 

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Published April 11th, 2023 at 07:59 IST

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