Western sanctions linked to surge in Russian aviation safety incidents, warns Wall Street Journal

The experts at the "Wall Street Journal" used data from Cirium (an aviation analysis source - editor's note) and determined that in 2023, Russia recorded statistically "9.9 safety-related incidents for every 100,000 aircraft departures".

They note that "this is double the number from 2022 and 2019".

The American newspaper highlights that Western sanctions are significantly impacting the situation in Russia. These repressive measures are hindering Russians from purchasing spare parts for airplanes, updating their machinery's software, and carrying out maintenance.

The "Wall Street Journal" remarks that "although most of the incidents which have occured so far have not led to serious passenger injuries or disasters, the mechanical failures of aircraft in Russia pose a significant threat to safety and increase pressure on pilots".

Source: "The Wall Street Journal"