U.S. Business Seeks Aviation Easing for Russia, but the U.S. Commerce Department Objects

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The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham Russia) is preparing a “white paper” for the U.S. government advocating for partial easing of restrictions on Russian civil aviation. The main focus concerns the supply of spare parts, technical support, and maintenance for Western aircraft—primarily Boeing models—which make up a significant portion of Russia’s commercial fleet, AmCham Russia President Robert Agee told RBC, one of Russia’s leading business news agencies, in an interview.

AmCham Russia emphasizes the humanitarian rationale behind the proposed relief measures and notes that current U.S. export restrictions—particularly those affecting spare parts supply and aircraft servicing—directly impact flight safety. According to the Chamber, lack of access to certified components and scheduled maintenance increases operational risks, reduces fleet reliability, and ultimately compromises passenger safety.

The proposals put forward by the Chamber’s president should be seen, on one hand, as a private initiative of a business association. On the other hand, the U.S. government, through the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), has systematically implemented and maintained strict export controls on civil aviation to Russia and Belarus since 2022.

Since March 2022, the U.S. Commerce Department’s BIS, which regulates the export of dual-use and defense-related technologies and components affecting national security, has imposed stringent restrictions on servicing aircraft of Russian carriers. Without a special BIS license, maintenance, repair, spare parts supply, re-registration, and other operations are prohibited for any aircraft containing more than 25% U.S.-origin components, even if manufactured outside the United States.

In June 2022, BIS temporarily revoked export privileges for several Russian airlines for 180 days, and in August, an additional 25 aircraft were restricted. Notifications cited “ongoing clear violations of export controls.” These prohibitions are periodically extended, and violations carry criminal and civil liability, fines, and restrictions on future operations.

Thus, the official U.S. position is that easing aviation restrictions is not a humanitarian issue but a matter of sanctions and export-control policy. Any attempts to supply parts or perform maintenance without a BIS license are considered violations, regardless of business arguments.

In parallel with technical restrictions on Russian civil aviation, the U.S. maintains other sanctions and financial measures. AmCham Russia’s white paper also calls for reconsideration of investment restrictions for U.S. companies and the restoration of Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment system. According to the authors, these steps are necessary to normalize the business environment: investment restrictions limit U.S. participation in ongoing projects and complicate fulfillment of existing contracts, while disconnection from SWIFT hampers payments between Russian and U.S. counterparties, making financial transactions less predictable and increasing transactional risks.

AmCham Russia’s initiative comes amid renewed contacts between the U.S. and Russia. Its proposals may seem at odds with the Commerce Department’s continued extension of revocations of export privileges for airlines such as Nordwind Airlines and S7 Airlines. However, the U.S. business association advocates partial easing of aviation restrictions, while regulatory authorities simultaneously extend sanctions against specific carriers. This apparent inconsistency reflects the different nature of measures applied to Russia.

Requests for sanctions relief concern only technical support for civil aviation, access to spare parts, and scheduled maintenance. Targeted restrictions against individual Russian airlines are part of strict export control. They are extended where U.S. authorities have reason to believe carriers may circumvent sanctions or use equipment containing U.S. technology beyond authorized limits. In this logic, regulators act strictly according to formal risk criteria, and such decisions are not related to the technical relief measures proposed by business.

The same rationale underpins the U.S. administration’s refusal to discuss restoring direct air service. This issue is political and requires a different configuration of bilateral relations. Washington prioritizes control over technology transfer and maintaining pressure in sensitive sectors, while possible adjustments in aircraft maintenance do not entail revisions of broader transportation or economic restrictions.

The AmCham-BIS situation illustrates that business initiatives may signal a desire to resume engagement and re-enter the Russian market, but actual decisions in the U.S. are made by government bodies. For Russian carriers, this indicates that any easing of restrictions will always be limited and contingent on U.S. strategic interests. Full sanctions relief would only be possible if these interests align directly with the U.S. administration’s willingness to pursue a fully mutually beneficial partnership with Russia.

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