Russian airline S7 cuts Moscow staff amid aircraft repair challenges due to sanctions

The largest private airline in Russia, S7, plans to downsize its Moscow office and redistribute flight crews due to route changes and flight reductions, reports Kommersant. According to Kommersant, about 20 percent of S7’s aircraft are grounded because of problems with American engines, which cannot be repaired due to sanctions.

The decision to reduce staff in the Moscow office is also linked to S7’s plans to expand its presence in Russian regions and strengthen its hub in Novosibirsk. S7 representatives said that some employees were offered the opportunity to continue working at the company’s branches in Novosibirsk or Irkutsk and that pilots were offered the chance to retrain on different types of aircraft.

Russian airlines Aeroflot and Pobeda have already stated that they are ready to hire laid-off flight attendants from S7. However, experts interviewed by Kommersant speculate that staff reductions at S7 may be followed by layoffs at other major airlines, as aviation transport volumes in Russia are still 18 percent below pre-pandemic levels.