Russian regulator clears Rossiya Airlines to carry out Boeing, Airbus aircraft maintenance

MOSCOW. March 23 (Interfax) - The Aeroflot group's Rossiya Airlines has received permission from Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) to carry out maintenance on Boeing and Airbus planes registered in Russia.

The airline said its maintenance division in St. Petersburg had received the permit to carry out prompt and routine maintenance of aircraft and components.

The airline was previously able to perform maintenance only on Russian Superjet 100 aircraft.

Rossiya's fleet includes 127 aircraft: 68 Superjet 100, 20 Airbus A319, eight Airbus A320, 12 Boeing 737, 10 Boeing 777 and nine Boeing 747.

Rosaviatsia has issued similar permits to Aeroflot's A-Technics subsidiary and to AZUR air.

The EU on February 26 imposed sanctions that banned the supply of civil aircraft and spare parts to Russia as well as their maintenance and insurance, and obliged lessors to terminate existing contracts with Russian carriers by the end of March, Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev said on March 22.