2 Russian airlines want to keep flying Soviet-era planes, but some of them are so old they're set to be phased out this year

A Polar Airlines' Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft is serviced at an airport in Yakutsk, Russia.

Roman Kutukov/Reuters

• Two Siberian airlines in Russia are seeking to extend the service life of Soviet-era planes.
• The Antonov An-24 and An-26 aircraft are small planes that are no longer in production.
• Russian airlines face problems procuring parts and equipment amid sweeping sanctions over the country's war in Ukraine.

Two Siberian airlines in Russia — Angara Airlines and Polar Airlines — are asking authorities to extend the service life of two Soviet-era aircraft, Reuters reported on Friday.

The Antonov An-24 and An-26 are small aircraft that can carry up to 50 passengers each. They have been out of production for almost 10 years and just about 100 planes with an average age of 50 years remain in service, Sergei Zorin, the deputy CEO of Angara Airlines, told Reuters.

"It's a very reliable aircraft, all the systems work properly, there are no issues at all," Konstantin Nazmutdinov, a Polar Airlines pilot, told Reuters. He said the planes are especially suitable for flying in the freezing climate of Russia's Siberia and Far East regions.

The problem is that the planes are so old that some of them are set to be phased out this year.

The airlines' request comes as the Russian aviation industry faces issues acquiring new airplane parts and equipment amid sweeping sanctions over the country's war in Ukraine.

Even maintaining the current An-24 and An-26 aircraft will be expensive and "impossible" without state support, Zorin told Reuters.

Despite hard-hitting sanctions, Russia has managed to keep many of its planes in the air. A December Reuters analysis showed Moscow has doled out more than $12 billion in subsidies to keep the sector afloat since sanctions over the Ukraine invasion hit.

Still, the challenges associated with flying have risen with Russia's difficulties in procuring new parts and equipment.

In 2023, there were triple the number of plane safety incidents in Russia as compared to 2022, according to data compiled by Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe and Newsweek.

Rosaviatsiya, Russia's aviation authority, did not immediately respond to a request from Business Insider for comment.

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