Summary

  • Utair Boeing 737-800 almost landed on a runway under construction, crew realized last minute.
  • The incident highlights concerns about aviation safety in Russia.
  • Russian airlines face safety risks due to a lack of spare parts & increased incidents since 2022.

Russia’s Utair Boeing 737-800 aircraft, flying from Turkey to Grozny, narrowly avoided landing on a runway that was still under construction.

The incident details

The Utair Boeing 737-800, registered as RA-73089, was operating a flight from Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey to Grozny Airport (GRV) in Chechnya when the pilots reportedly confused the runways and began approaching a closed runway that was under construction.

Utair Boeing 737-500

Photo: Karasev Viktor | Shutterstock

However, at the last moment, the crew aborted the landing, kicking up a cloud of dust. On their second attempt, they successfully landed on the active runway, and no injuries were reported.

A video has surfaced online showing the aircraft narrowly avoiding the unfinished runway. In the footage, the 737 can be seen flying past an excavator and the entire construction site before suddenly ascending again.

Simple Flying has asked Utair for a comment.

Founded in 1967, Utair is a Russian scheduled airline with hubs at Surgut International Airport (SGC) and Vnukovo International Airport (VKO). The carrier currently operates a fleet of 60 aircraft at an average age of 20 years, according to ch-aviation data. The fleet consists of 42 Boeing 737s, 15 ATR 72-500 regional turboprops, and three Boeing 767-200ER widebody aircraft.

Russian aviation safety

This incident, along with other serious aviation accidents, has raised concerns about aviation safety in Russia.

Indeed, safety incidents involving Russian aircraft have spiked in 2023 as airlines in the country struggle to maintain their aircraft. Western sanctions imposed on the country due to its aggressive invasion of Ukraine have prevented Russian airlines from acquiring spare parts, yet they have continued operating planes at considerable safety risk.

shutterstock_2369946087 - Moscow, Russia - 12 September 2023: Boeing 777-300ER RA-73150 Aeroflot Russian airlines taking off from Sheremetyevo airport.

Photo: imfaydez | Shutterstock

According to a report by Novaya Gazeta Europe, over 120 incidents were recorded between January and August 2023. This brings the total to more than 180 incidents in 2023 so far, compared to 60 in 2022. The number is also significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, with 110 incidents in 2019 and 87 in 2018.

Even the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the air safety for Russia in 2022. Now, Russia is in Category 2, which restricts any expansion of service or partnerships since the country’s Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) does not comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards.

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