Russia has already been sanctioned heavily by the world for its invasion of Ukraine. Boeing and Airbus are among the latest to join the growing list of private companies that are acting against Russia as a result of the invasion.
Boeing and Airbus said they will halt the supply of parts and support to Russian airlines. Boeing said it earlier had "suspended major operations" in Russia, where it has research and engineering centers. Airbus took a similar stance but is still evaluating whether a local Moscow engineering center could continue to provide service, Reuters reported.
"With Western lessors also looking to repossess jets that are operated by Russian carriers, the Russian aviation sector is now on a footing that is similar to North Korea and Iran – and similar to where it was under Soviet rule," Vertical Research Partners analyst Rob Stallard told Reuters.
Russia accounted for about 6% of airline capacity in 2021, up from 4% in 2019, according to consultants IBA.
The country's airlines have a total of 332 Boeing and 304 Airbus jets, amounting to about two-thirds of Russia's fleet, Cirium Fleets data shows. A total of 515 planes in Russia are leased from foreign companies.
"Because parts are limited, we will expect to see aircraft that are on the ground in Russia being robbed in order to keep the remainder of the fleet operational," said Peter Walter, director of technical and asset management at IBA.
Russia also has 62 planes on order between Boeing and Airbus.