According to internal memos from four Russian airlines, pilots were asked to be courteous when braking and taxing. S7 Airlines told pilots to use reverse engine thrust and avoid the autobrake function if the runaway is long enough, Telegram channel Aviatorshina reported. The pilots were also told that they should not brake hard to quickly get away from the runaway and make way for other planes. Urals Airlines, Rossiya and Pobeda issued similar memos instructing pilots to “pay special attention to an interim fuel efficiency and aircraft resource saving policy.” Traffic control was given separate instructions to offer aircraft more landing slots to give planes more time to move off the runway.
International companies refuse to supply spare parts
Aeroflot did not issue similar memos in writing, but Aviatorshina, a popular aviation media outlet in Russia, quoted an Aeroflot pilot as saying they had also been told to reduce the brakes. Russian airlines are struggling with a shortage of spare parts as international companies refuse to sell them because of sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. According to estimates in the Russian media, by the end of the summer domestic airlines will have no choice but to part with some jets to procure spare parts for other aircraft. Yuri Borisov, Russia’s deputy prime minister in charge of civil aviation, acknowledged the problem, telling a conference earlier this summer that the existing number of foreign aircraft would last about five years without repair parts before the fleet runs out. A vice president of Russia’s aircrew union told the Ridus website that the advisory “does not compromise safety in any way.” “If the runway is long, you might as well not use brakes at all: The plane will stop at the end of the runway due to air brakes, engine back thrust and other things,” said Oleg Prikhodko. “It is a rational use of resources.”
