Western sanctions start to bite in Russia's aviation sector - DW News

[TexasTowelie]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has slowed the post pandemic recovery of the industry on a global level. But while international airlines have been minimally affected, harsh sanctions and isolation have hit Russian airlines the hardest, impacting both cargo and passenger traffic.

Russian airlines are currently banned from flying to most countries in Europe and America since the start of the war. Due to sanctions, companies like Aeroflot or S7 can't receive spare parts and updated service manuals from Airbus, Boeing and other Western suppliers, raising worries about the long-term safety of the Russian commercial and cargo fleets.

Meanwhile, German air travel is also hampered — by serious staff shortage at airports. Germany's leading airline Lufthansa blamed sluggish ground handling for the recent cancellation of almost a thousand flights. Anybody hoping to fly in the coming weeks will need to be patient.