Russian airlines to return mothballed aircraft to the skies in 2026
Russian airlines plan to return some of their previously mothballed aircraft to service in 2026, according to DW. As part of the equipment restoration programme, 10 of the 12 planned aircraft have already been transferred to carriers. These include seven Tu 204 and Tu 214 aircraft, one An 148 and two Il 96V. The programme has been extended until 2027, with two more Tu 204 aircraft to be transferred to airlines.
At the same time, mothballed foreign aircraft are also being restored. In particular, in 2026-2027, the number of double-deck Boeing 747s operating regular flights may increase. Rossiya Airlines plans to increase its fleet of these aircraft from two to four. All of them were acquired by the carrier after the bankruptcy of Transaero and were in storage for a long time. One aircraft was refurbished at the end of 2025, and another is scheduled to be put into service in 2027. According to industry sources, the refurbishment of such aircraft can be carried out in so-called friendly countries, in particular Iran, which has the necessary technical facilities.
Experts explain the return of old aircraft by an acute shortage of aviation equipment caused by sanctions due to the war against Ukraine and the limited capabilities of the Russian aviation industry. According to their estimates, Russian airlines are already using almost their entire serviceable fleet, while every year some of the aircraft have to be written off. In 2025, this led to a decline in passenger traffic.
At the same time, Russian carriers continue to operate Western aircraft thanks to grey imports of spare parts through third countries and the practice of cannibalisation, where some aircraft are dismantled for parts to repair others. According to industry reference books, Rossiya has seven Boeing 747s aged between 25 and 28 years in storage, and Red Wings has four Tu 204s, the oldest of which is 31 years old.
