Beyond political decisions on sanctions, the EU official also stressed “the main security and security problems” linked to the possible reopening of the EU airspace to Russian jets, because “it is not known if Russian air operators and air traffic services have been properly maintained in the last three years, which puts the Russian of the Russian fleet seriously.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in Moscow, Russian airlines have been prohibited from landing and flying over the territory of the EU and the United States, as well as access to spare parts for planes of Western manufacturers such as Boeing or Airbus. The Kremlin retaliated by blocking Western airlines from its airspace.
“Consequently, there is a high probability that false documents are installed in planes operating on the Russian internal market,” said Sander Starreveld, director of the SIG aviation consulting company, warning risks for air security. “Allowing these planes to operate commercially in Europe is not only dangerous, but also risks introducing counterfeit parts in the union.”
Dangerous sky
In practical terms, the reopening of the European sky towards Russian airlines such as the carrier of flag Aeroflot would also impose a massive burden on the EU aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The agency would be required to ensure that Russian planes have a level of security that is equivalent to planes that already operate in the EU, Starreveld said. “This process takes time, especially given the workload involved.”
In addition to security and certification problems, many Russian planes could never land in Europe again because they are in fact not Russian but were stolen from plane donors after the invasion.
Politices
