Ural Airlines has reportedly begun dismantling its Airbus A320, which made an emergency landing in a Siberian field a year ago. Instead of trying to recover the aircraft, the airline has chosen to break it down for parts, which have become scarce due to Western sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to a report by the Russian news agency TASS, the dismantling of the aircraft is expected to be completed by December this year. The airline mentioned that some parts of the plane may be used in the future. In a statement, the airline’s spokesperson said:
The incident recap
The Ural Airlines Airbus A320, registered as RA-73805, made an emergency landing on September 12, 2023, after the pilots feared the narrowbody aircraft was running low on fuel during a diversion to Novosibirsk Airport (OVB), Russia.
The aircraft was flying from Sochi (AER) to Omsk (OMS) when the crew detected a hydraulic failure, prompting a diversion to Novosibirsk (OVB). However, due to fuel concerns, the flight crew was forced to make an emergency landing in a Siberian field.
All 159 passengers and six crew members escaped unharmed, but the plane has remained there ever since.
After the incident, the Russian carrier initially wanted to fly the A320 off the field and even declared its engines fully operational, but later reconsidered given the risks, technical difficulties, and economic viability.
The plan was to take off from the field once it had frozen over. At one point, Ural Airlines CEO Sergey Skuratov mentioned that the airline intended to keep the A320 in its fleet. The plan involved dismantling the aircraft, transporting it to Novosibirsk Airport, and then reassembling it there.
Earlier, it was reported that the owner of the wheat field where the A320 is situated received a full year’s rent for the aircraft’s temporary stay, totaling approximately one million rubles ($11,350). The agreement included the option to extend the rental period if needed. The area surrounding the plane was enclosed with fencing and is under continuous surveillance by 24-hour security.
In need of more parts
Due to the shortage of spare parts for Russian airlines caused by economic sanctions as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, scrapping the A320 might not be a significant loss for Ural Airlines . The most valuable components of the aircraft are its two CFM 56 engines.
Currently, Ural Airlines operates a fleet of 53 aircraft at an average age of 15.4 years, according to ch-aviation data. The fleet consists of 26 Airbus A320s, 22 Airbus A321s, four Airbus A319s, and a single wet-leased Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft.