Russian airlines have been forced to improvise to keep their aircraft in service. With the war still ongoing, all Russian aircraft operators have been blacklisted by various western part manufacturers and suppliers.

As a result, these carriers have had to find unique ways to get around these blocks, either by importing spare parts through convoluted channels, or simply fabricating their own as best as they can. Unfortunately, it has resulted in many aircraft being grounded and parted out to keep others airborne.

At the start of June, Russia’s S7 Airlines temporarily restricted first officers from performing landings except at a handful of airports following a series of hard landings. The airline implemented the temporary restriction (which lasts until October 1, 2026) as a measure to maintain reliable flight operations and reduce the chances of aircraft being grounded for extended periods of time following these hard landings.

First officers are only approved to land at Moscow (DME), Novosibirsk (OVB), all runways at Irkutsk (IKT) except runway 12, and Vladivostok (VVO).

Less than a month later, an S7 Boeing 737-800 overran the runway after landing at Mirny Airport (MJZ), coming to a stop with all three gears in the grass. On June 30, S7 Airlines operated flight S7 5241 from Novosibirsk to Mirny with a Boeing 737-800 (registered RA-73359). There were 179 passengers and cabin crew members on board.

At the time of touch down, the Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) reported light rains and little wind. Just after landing, the aircraft veered off the end of the runway, becoming stuck in the muddy field. From the photos (below), it appears the aircraft by and large escaped unscathed. Of all the gears, the left main sunk most into the ground, with the left engine cowling sitting just above the grass.

Further assessments will have to be conducted, and the matter is also being investigated by officials.

“The Novosibirsk Transport Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation to ensure the airline is complying with flight safety regulations.”

I’m sure this incident raises further questions as S7 already had its sights set on first officer training standards. The airline also has to be very cautious given how challenging it is to source spare parts. However, to their credit, they’ve done a good job keeping most of their aircraft airworthy. Of the 15 737-800s and two 737-800 freighters, only two are parking for maintenance (including RA-73359 as a result of this incident).

They are also doing well keeping their fleet of Embraer ERJ-170s and A320 and A321ceo family aircraft in service. However, all eight A321neos and 24 of 31 A320neos are grounded. If you guessed engine issues being the main culprit, you would be right, as all of them are powered by Pratt and Whitney PW1100 GTF engines.

Even though the issues affecting these engines are mostly fixed, Russian simply have no way around getting the affected engines replaced as they have to reach out directly to Pratt and Whitney for assistance. With various export restrictions in place, S7 is stuck with at least 30 planes sitting idly by until the war is over.

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