Russian airlines have found a way to get their hands on otherwise inaccessible Boeing and Airbus parts. Western sanctions on Russia and its airlines in the wake of its war against Ukraine have meant that aircraft and spare parts are few and far between.
India, however, has emerged as a black night, buying parts from the West under the vise of a purchase that will terminate there before ultimately selling them to Russia. At least, that’s what a new report from Investigate Europe has demonstrated, with little reaction on the Airbus or Boeing side.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
India as a black night
Black nights—supporters of the targeted regime that emerge in the wake of sanctions—can most commonly be caused by economic or political motives. In this case, Investigate Europe found that parts originating from the following companies had “reached Russia via Indian intermediaries.”
- Boeing
- Satair (an Airbus subsidiary)
- Superjet International (linked to Italy’s Leonardo, not to be confused with the Superjet aircraft series constructed by the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company).
- 100+ other suppliers across Europe and the U.S.
This emerged after reporters tracked customs data for over 700 individual pieces of cargo between January 2024 and September 2024. It added that the value of the items totaled more than $50 million and included:
- Critical generators
- Sensors
- Propellor blades
- Cockpit displays
- Small screws, bolts and filters
Airbus & Boeing’s Indian collaborators
Two firms were mentioned by name in the report; Aerotrust Aviation and Ascend Aviation.
Aerotrust, headquartered in Delhi, sold approximately $7 million in parts to Russia, of which 80% can be traced back to “facilities of western companies” according to the investigation’s results. Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, emerged as the top buyer.
Boeing also filtered parts through another Indian buyer, Ascend Aviation. This included things like valves, fasteners, fuel sealants and a battery and accounts for just part of the at least 80 cargoes sent by Boeing to India that would later be sent to Russia.
Airbus’ subsidiary, Satair, also sent 12 loads through Ascend Aviation between September 2023 and May 2024, the report found. Among others, it says Aeroflot and Ural Airlines were buyers.
Photo: Lukas Wunderlich | Shutterstock
Finally, the investigation revealed that India-based Agrim Aviation was also used as an intermediary for Russian deliveries. Over 160 cargoes were tracked, of which the majority to Utair.
The blame game
It’s not entirely clear whether Airbus, Boeing or the other firms were aware of the Indian companies’ dealings with Russia. Given the sheer amount of transactions such companies undertake with partners worldwide, it is plausible that they were unaware of these Indian companies selling products onwards to otherwise illegal customers.
At the same time, these companies might have raised eyebrows before. In fact, Ascend Aviation has already been flagged by the U.S. in October last year for its role in sanctions evasion. It noted sales of aircraft components to Russia, from US sources. The US introduced sanctions against the company and two directors.
Responding to Investigate Europe’s report, Airbus dismissed claims of any wrongdoing and said it (and subsidiary Satair) were “acting in compliance with the laws and regulations and are actively committed to prevent sanctions circumvention and diversion.”
Boeing did not provide any detailed clarification on its relationship with the Indian intermediaries, but reiterated that all major operations in Russia had been suspended in 2022.
Russian troubles
Russian airlines have been struggling with their Western-built fleets in recent years. Sanctions over Russia’s war against Ukraine have limited the aerospace industry’s access to key aircraft components, including new parts. In fact, in December we had reported that Aeroflot wanted to buy five 737 freighters, simply to cannibalize them for spare parts.
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