With Russia’s official parts and spares markets presently closed, several airlines are seeking for alternative solutions.
It was revealed earlier this week that Aeroflot is sending several of its A330s to Iran for maintenance. Almost simultaneously, it was revealed that S7 Airlines, Russia’s largest private airline, had bought a controlling position in a company that manufactures parts and components for the aerospace and defense industries.
The implication is that S7 has gained ownership of the Berdsk Electromechanical Factory (BEMZ) (” еpдски лектромеаниески авод”- ) in order to manufacture its own components in the future. Interfax reported that a S7 subsidiary called OOO Engineering ( “нинирин”) had purchased 22,66% of Berdsk Electromechanical Factory, while an individual named Sergey Savchenkov, a former director of S7 Space (also part of the S7 Group), had purchased the remaining 59.52%.
The Berdsk Electromechanical Factory, founded in 1959 in the city of the same name near Novossibirsk in Siberia, specializes in precise manufacturing of parts and components for the aircraft sector. According to reports, the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, is one of the entities that collaborates with the purchased company.
S7 temporarily grounded its eight-strong Airbus A321 fleet in January 2023, and while the airline claimed it was due to planned and operational changes, other voices on Russian social media forums suggested engine difficulties.
