Russian Aviation Authorities Unveil Long-Awaited Domestic Rules for Maintaining Airworthiness of Foreign Aircraft

Russia Proposes Stricter Aviation Safety Rules Amid Fleet Transition

The draft regulations, which the industry has anticipated since 2022—when sweeping sanctions were imposed—introduce key changes, including mandatory rapid reporting by airlines of safety-critical technical failures, stricter documentation requirements, and enhanced personnel qualification standards.

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Russia's Ministry of Transport published the draft Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), titled "Procedures for Maintaining Airworthiness Based on the Maximum Takeoff Weight and Operational Purpose of Civil Aircraft," on the regulation.gov.ru portal on April 24. The ministry's press service emphasized that the document aims to strengthen flight safety oversight and improve the efficiency of fleet management. If adopted, the new rules will take effect on March 1, 2027.

"Following the large-scale transfer of aircraft to the national registry, Russia is now building an independent, technologically mature airworthiness maintenance system," the ministry stated. "These regulations are designed to establish a unified national oversight framework and ensure the long-term safety of civil aviation under conditions of technological and regulatory sovereignty."

Industry sources told Expert magazine that airlines have been awaiting these rules since 2022. "Russia previously lacked its own airworthiness maintenance system—a set of regulations governing aircraft inspections," one insider explained. "Before 2022, most of Russia's mainline fleet was registered in Bermuda or Ireland. Under Article 83bis of the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, responsibility for an aircraft's airworthiness can be delegated to its country of registration. In practice, that responsibility rested with the registrar—meaning Bermuda."

Russia had entered into agreements under Article 83a with Ireland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Bermuda (UK), Malawi, and Turkey. Foreign registration was often preferred by Russian carriers because imported aircraft registered abroad benefited from reduced import duties. Many planes were also leased, and foreign jurisdiction made leasing more cost-effective, with legal ownership frequently held by foreign entities.

Additionally, not all maintenance for modern aircraft was available in Russia, so repairs were often conducted overseas, with airworthiness certificates issued by foreign authorities.

How Foreign-Made Planes Changed Their Registration

After Western countries imposed sectoral sanctions on Russian aviation in 2022, domestic airlines faced a host of legal, financial, and technical challenges. In March 2022, Bermuda's authorities revoked airworthiness certificates for Russian-operated aircraft, effectively barring Russian carriers from flying them outside the country. As a result, the entire foreign-built fleet—Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer planes, which account for the bulk of passenger traffic—was urgently reregistered under Russia's own aviation registry. According to the latest available data from Rosaviation in July 2023, 658 foreign-made aircraft were transferred to Russian jurisdiction.

"Previously, the industry relied primarily on the standards of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Our version of the rules is essentially an equivalent, translated into Russian," a source in the aviation market said.

What Changes for Airlines

Among the key changes is the introduction of mandatory reporting for airlines and private aircraft owners on the condition of their fleets. Under the draft regulations, any malfunction posing a safety risk must now be reported to the competent authorities within 72 hours of detection. The rules also establish uniform standards for record-keeping, with detailed procedures for maintaining both paper and electronic flight documents—ensuring data integrity and auditability.

Additionally, oversight of aircraft maintenance is being tightened. Maintenance procedures will now be approved based on the design and operational specifics of each aircraft type. Personnel requirements are also being raised: heads of airworthiness maintenance divisions must hold a higher technical education in civil aviation, have at least five years of experience, be fluent in technical documentation, and possess in-depth knowledge of aircraft construction.

Andrei Dobryakov, head of the Russian Association of Air Transport Operators (AATO), noted that he had long advocated for Russia to develop its own airworthiness regulations for foreign-made aircraft. As of publication, major Russian airlines—Aeroflot, Pobeda, and S7—had not responded to requests for comment on the Transport Ministry's initiative.

Despite ongoing challenges in the aviation sector, Russia's flight safety record in 2025 was "no worse than the global average," according to the annual analytical report by Rosaviatsiya, the Federal Air Transport Agency. The number of aviation incidents per one million flights involving aircraft weighing over 5.7 tons stood at 1.31, compared to 1.28 in 2024. This figure remains better than the average among member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The total number of commercial aviation incidents in 2025 fell by more than half—from 17 to 7—though the death toll rose from 37 to 56.

Meanwhile, Russian airlines are phasing out foreign-made aircraft: the Aviation Equipment Operators Association (AEVT) estimates that the number of imported planes in service dropped by 47 in 2025, leaving 742 in operation. Under Rosaviatsiya's pessimistic forecast, by 2030, the fleet could lose 109 foreign-built aircraft and 230 domestic models, as agency head Dmitry Yadrov warned in the fall of 2025.