S7 Airlines Freezes Saint Petersburg Plant Project Amid Uncertainty
S7 Airlines has put on hold its project to build a factory for aircraft components in Saint Petersburg, according to Russian financial news outlet Vedomosti, which spoke to sources familiar with the matter. The private Russian carrier had planned to invest approximately 7.5 billion rubles ($83.3 million) in the facility to produce components, aiming to replace foreign-made parts and maintain operations of Western-made aircraft in Russia.
The Saint Petersburg plant, which received official approval in February 2024, was expected to be completed by 2027. It would employ about 300 workers and focus on producing turbine blades for jet engines. This facility would complement an existing plant operated by S7 Technics in Novosibirsk, where turbine blades for Western-made aircraft engines are already being repaired. The Novosibirsk facility began operations in October 2024.
The reasons for halting the project remain unclear. It could be due to technical or financial challenges, or possibly the anticipation that the U.S. might lift sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry. This possibility gained traction in early March, following a shift in U.S. policy under former President Trump and a request from Russia to remove aviation-related sanctions.
Most Russian airlines still operate Boeing and Airbus aircraft, as the production of domestic replacements like the MC-21 has been hindered, particularly by the lack of a Russian-made engine. In light of these challenges, it has been reported that some Russian operators have resorted to smuggling parts to keep their fleets operational.
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