Western sanctions drive import substitution in Russia's aviation industry

The National Aviation Infrastructure Show 2026 got underway in Moscow on Wednesday, with "import substitution" and "localization" emerging as the central priorities for the future of Russia's aviation industry.

The event comes as Western sanctions squeeze the industry, grounding numerous civilian aircraft due to a critical shortage of spare parts. As Russia's only professional exhibition dedicated to civil aviation, this year's two-day show underscores the growing urgency to build an autonomous domestic supply chain.

The exhibition, the largest of its kind in the country, features a wide range of products including civil passenger aircraft, airport facilities, drones, and integrated technology systems, with 92 percent of exhibitors hailing from Russia.

Since the implementation of Western sanctions in 2022, Russia's civil aviation fleet has been significantly impacted, leading to a shortage of operational aircraft. In October 2025, the head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Dmitry Yadrov, offered a pessimistic forecast: by 2030, approximately one-third of Russia's civil aircraft fleet could be decommissioned. This includes 109 foreign aircraft that are beyond repair and 230 Russian-made planes grounded due to a lack of parts or after exceeding 40 years of service.

In June 2022, to address the potential shortage of civil aircraft, the Russian government approved a comprehensive program for the development of the aviation industry until 2030. Russian President Vladimir Putin has mandated that the proportion of Russian-made aircraft in the national fleet must increase to 50 percent by 2030. Currently, Russia is accelerating the research, development, and production of three main domestic passenger aircraft: the Tu-214, SJ-100, and MC-21.

The Tu-214 has already completed airworthiness certification for its main domestic configurations and secured letters of intent for 100 aircraft from Russian airlines at the exhibition. It is poised to become the most viable option to fill the current fleet gap for medium-haul routes.

Development of critical components is also being fast-tracked. The PD-8 engine, developed domestically for the Sukhoi Superjet (SJ-100) to replace the partially French-made SaM146 engine, has broken records in its development timeline.

"Many processes were carried out in parallel, and thanks to our expertise in engines of this class, we were able to develop it in record time. The scientific school is not standing still -- it is moving forward. The most complex part of any aircraft engine, the so-called 'hot section,' is located right here. The unique feature of the PD-8 is that it was developed specifically for a particular aircraft -- the Sukhoi Superjet -- for the purpose of import substitution, replacing the SaM146 which was previously manufactured partly in Russia and partly in France. From the moment the decision was made to produce the PD-8 to the practical conclusion of its certification tests, only five years passed. This is a record," said Roman Okhotenko, deputy head of administration at Russia's United Engine Corporation.

However, significant challenges remain. The Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia has previously noted that no single country in the world can independently produce all the components required for a modern aircraft. For instance, the technologically mature Boeing 787 consists of approximately 2.3 million parts, with key systems supplied by vendors from over 10 countries, according to its official website.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in 2023 that the aerospace supply chain's high dependency on a few key component suppliers creates a structural vulnerability that has become a major factor constraining global airline capacity growth.

For Russia, rebuilding or replacing such a complex supply chain under sanctions remains a formidable hurdle to overcome.

Western sanctions drive import substitution in Russia's aviation industry

An American content creator has given his take on a surprising new viral trend which has taken social media by storm, as global internet users joke about entering a "very Chinese phase" of their lives.

The unexpected phenomenon which is sweeping across the online world shines a new spotlight on Chinese culture and lifestyle, and sees users declare they are "becoming Chinese" alongside the phrase "you've met me at a very Chinese time of my life," accompanied by videos of them adopting Chinese habits on various social media platforms.

U.S. influencer Paul Mike Ashton, known online as 'BaoBaoXiong', gained fame for coining the phrase which led to the "city or not city" meme back in 2024.

As for this latest online sensation, Ashton believes it's not just another amusing meme, but also a casual way to experience Chinese culture through everyday details, rather than abstract stereotypes.

He said the current wave is giving foreign audiences a fresh, tangible perspective on China, which makes cultural exchange more engaging and relatable.

"As a content creator, I absolutely think that this is going to be changing the way people perceive China in general. Oftentimes when we need simplified stories, we need people to see things as a whole unit as opposed to their little parts. I would say even just the practice of doing these things is giving you a chance to engage with the culture and engage with specifics instead of just kind of this big overall idea and getting new experience like 'OK, this particular form of life actually does really feel very nice and very comfortable'. I think it also gives a chance for Chinese creators to take more of a spotlight and actually talk a little bit more about their culture in ways that people will listen because there's a curiosity about this," he said.

Ashton also believes there are other deeper reasons for why this "becoming Chinese" trend has taken off, pointing to the current challenges and level of discontent many people feel in the U.S., which means many are looking for some form of escapism.

"I think I've heard somebody mention before kind of this idea that the U.S., politically and economically, is in a very sensitive time. There's a lot going on and there's a lot of unrest and a lot of unhappiness and a lot of unsatisfaction. So, I think that it's been proposed this idea that people are kind of looking for stuff outside of these sorts of traditional cultural superpowers to kind of find a sense of either excitement or safety or comfort," he said.

Ashton also pointed to how concerns over the future of the popular TikTok app early last year saw many online users flocking over to the Chinese mobile app RedNote as being another notable factor driving the emergence of these online trends.

He said this renewed global interest in Chinese culture has created fresh engagement channels on other international platforms.

"This is almost a year now since the initial TikTok refugee exodus last year in which a lot of people suddenly took interest in Chinese culture in a new way than before. So, I think there's been since then some opportunities to engage with and interact with Chinese culture in TikTok, in international social media, besides just China on its own that definitely I think has influenced this becoming a bigger trend," he said.

US influencer shares thoughts on 'Becoming Chinese' trend