Russian airlines will receive decommissioned old aircraft in 2026–2027 to maintain the growing passenger traffic, RIA Novosti was told by “Rostec”. We are talking about 12 aircraft of various types – nine aircraft of the Tu-204-214 family, one An-148 and two Il-96. The process of their restoration started in 2022 and at the moment, 10 out of 12 aircraft have already been put back into service. Among the recipients of the aircraft are Red Wings and other companies.
In parallel, airlines are also decommissioning foreign aircraft. In particular, “Rossiya” plans to increase the number of two-deck Boeing 747s in operation. Two such aircraft, which the company received after the bankruptcy of “Transaero”, are already flying. According to a source of “RIA Novosti” in the airline, in November 2025, a third 24-year-old aircraft was restored, and a fourth is planned to be put into service by 2027. These aircraft were put into storage during the pandemic, and their reconstruction may be carried out in “friendly” countries, such as Iran, noted Anton Blik, an expert on the supply of complex technical products from “Device Consulting” LLC (The Moscow Times).
