Russia to resurrect an additional 11 airliners from its aircraft boneyards

Russia’s United Aircraft Company will restore an additional 11 decommissioned aircraft to an airworthy condition before delivering the planes to Russian airlines.

The aircraft are expected to be delivered to passenger airline, Red Wings and cargo airlines Volga-Dnepr and Aviastar-TU.

According to a report by Russian newspaper Vedomosti, one Antonov An-124, two Ilyushin Il-96-400Ts and eight Tupolev Tu-204/214s will be restored.

The restoration is expected to cost 15.4 billion rubles ($267 million) and be completed by 2024, the report said.

The aircraft will be leased by companies already experienced in operating aircraft of the same type. The Tu-204/214s will be leased by Red Wings, while Volga-Dnepr will receive the An-124 and Aviastar-TU will take the Il-96s.

Russia announced an effort to restore a number of non-airworthy domestically manufactured aircraft due to sanctions imposed by Western manufacturers following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In March 2022, UAC had already announced its intention to restore a number of Tu-204s, Il-96s and An-148s to service, according to Russian media reports.

The effort could serve as an interim solution before the country is able to ramp-up production of new domestic aircraft.

According to the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, the country plans to manufacture more than 1000 new airliners by 2030. Presumably, the number includes both new models, such as the Irkut MC-21 and the Sukhoi SSJ-100, as well as Soviet-era Tu204 and Il-96.