Two Russian airliners suffered engine failure mid-flight

Two planes of Russian airlines were forced to return to their departure airports due to engine failure, Russian Telegram channel Aviatorschina reported.

The first incident occurred on an Airbus A321neo of Ural Airlines, which was flying from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to Yekaterinburg. At an altitude of 4500 meters, the left engine of the airliner failed. The crew reported the malfunction to dispatchers, after which they decided to return to the departure airport.

The second incident occurred on a Boeing 737 of NordStar Airlines, operating a flight from Volgograd to Yekaterinburg on the night of January 2. At an altitude of 11,300 meters, the plane’s left engine also failed. The crew returned to Gumrak airport in Volgograd.

After these incidents, the press services of both airlines reported that the aircraft was removed from flights for technical inspection and condition assessment.

In the past, the Main Intelligence Directorate obtained secret documents indicating the collapse of Russian aviation due to sanctions. Judging by the data from the documents, in 2023, the number of accidents and cases of technical errors increased significantly in Rosavitsa. Russia is experiencing serious difficulties in servicing aircraft with long flight times and a severe shortage of spare parts, so more than 35% of aircraft are used for donation. The most problematic areas of Russian aviation remain engines and landing gear.

However, data subsequently emerged indicating that at least 28 aircraft, including small aircraft and large passenger airliners, have been imported into Russia in evasion of sanctions since the beginning of 2024.