Russian airlines face safety countdown to secure parts

Russian airlines have weeks to orchestrate alternative supplies of banned aircraft parts or start grounding jets to avoid safety concerns as Western sanctions following Russian's invasion of Ukraine threaten their post-Soviet revival. Moscow took a first step this week towards keeping its commercial fleet flying by allowing its airlines to re-register leased planes in Russia, giving local authorities direct control over the certificates of airworthiness needed for each jet. That reverses a two-decades-old agreement allowing leasing companies to keep hundreds of jets registered in Bermuda because of worries over Russia's legal system - a transfer of authority that has long been a source of irritation to Russian officials. Sheltered by those changes, Western analysts say airlines may start stripping some of Russia's 500 foreign-leased jets within weeks or even days for parts while shopping around for genuine, but resold, parts from countries such as China. The licence changes and jet-stripping herald a legal battle with lessors, but Russia's tightly regulated carriers are seen unlikely for now to resort to buying counterfeit parts as Iran was forced to do during decades of US sanctions. "Russian airport and airline managements are professional, as are the regulators. Everything will in all likelihood be clearly documented if they are allowed to get on with the job," said Paul Hayes, director of air safety at Ascend by Cirium. <br/>