US Sanctions on Russia Affect Aircraft Production in the US

The US-imposed sanctions on Russia have affected the manufacture of aircraft by US multinational The Boeing Company. This is the reason behind its recent suspension of the manufacture of 737 MAX aircraft, due to a lack of titanium and other critical components supplied by Russia. The halt in production was confirmed last week by the Wall Street Journal.

According to aviation security expert Roman Gusarov, Russia supplies critical parts and components to the US aircraft manufacturer.

“Boeing’s dependence on Russian titanium is extremely high, about 30-40%, this means that at least one in every three Boeing aircraft is entirely assembled from Russian titanium,” Gusarov stated. In addition to titanium, Boeing also imports titanium products from Russian producer VSMPO-AVISMA.

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In March, Boeing stopped buying Russian titanium, claiming that it had significant reserves and could get additional supplies from other sources. Obviously the decision was political, and was made after Russia was sanctioned by the West.

While the temporary halt in production could be attributed to a lack of Russian titanium, the global disruption of supply chains has also played a part, which is also linked to the conflict in Ukraine. Boeing also used to hire giant Antonov An-124 cargo planes, operated by the Russian Volga-Dnepr group, to deliver parts to its factories in the United States.