Russian Aviation Crisis: Two Passenger Jets Suffer Mid-Flight Engine Failures

Two Russian commercial flights were forced to return to their departure airports shortly after takeoff due to engine failures, The Moscow Times reported, citing Aviatorschina Telegram channel.

The first incident occurred on Friday, Jan. 3, with a Ural Airlines Airbus A321neo on a flight from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to Yekaterinburg. At an altitude of 4,500 meters, the aircraft’s left engine failed. The crew quickly informed air traffic controllers of the issue and decided to return to the departure airport.

The second case involved a NordStar Airlines Boeing 737 operating a flight from Volgograd to Yekaterinburg on the evening of Jan. 2. At an altitude of 11,300 meters, the plane’s left engine also malfunctioned, forcing the crew to turn back and land at Gumrak Airport in Volgograd.

Following these incidents, both airlines announced that the affected aircraft had been grounded for technical inspections and further assessment of their condition.

According to the report, before the war in Ukraine, Russia’s fleet consisted of 1,031 aircraft, with two-thirds manufactured by Boeing and Airbus.

However, Western sanctions have since banned the maintenance of these aircraft and restricted the supply of new parts, pushing airlines to resort to “cannibalizing” planes—using parts from some aircraft to repair others.

Analysts from Oliver Wyman predict that by 2026, Russia’s aviation fleet could shrink by more than half.

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The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has also flagged Russia with a “red flag” designation, indicating a low level of flight safety—a rating shared by only a handful of countries, including Bhutan, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Compounding these issues, aviation incidents in Russia have reached a six-year high. By November 2024, 208 incidents had been recorded—a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2023. In late November and early December alone, three Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft suffered failures during flights.

In August, Kyiv Post reported that some airlines are now rationing fuel as Moscow’s already struggling commercial airlines stagger from one crisis to another.

Pilots from Pobeda Airlines, a low-cost carrier in the Aeroflot group, have raised alarms over dangerously low fuel levels, alleging that aircraft are sometimes refueled below the minimum required for safe journeys.

While avoiding mention of the effect of Ukrainian strikes against Russian fuel depots, the pilots described these practices as “criminal,” blaming economic pressures and rising fuel prices. They argue that the reduced fuel margins, combined with inadequate maintenance, severely compromise safety.

Russian aviation fuel prices, according to the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange, have risen by 30% since March 2022, further straining operations.

Reports suggest fuel calculations are being made for the shortest possible routes, with no allowance for weather deviations or airport delays.