The US Commerce Department has confirmed it is targeting seven planes of the Belarusian flag carrier Belavia for violation of US export controls. The jets, all belonging to the Boeing 737 narrowbody family, are the first identified as such since stricter sanctions were levied against the Lukashenko regime last week.

Already in the international aviation dog house for the forced emergency landing in Minsk in May last year of a Ryanair flight carrying a political dissident, Belarus is now suffering more sanctions from the West as it, morally if not materially, supports Russia's war in Ukraine. The new round of sanctions against the country is part of the Biden administration's response to Lukashenko 'enabling' the Kremlin's military invasion.

The export controls, which are part of the package, forbid any company to assist Belarusian carriers with refueling, maintenance, repair, or spare parts or provide services related to the seven identified airplanes. Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves said, as quoted by Reuters,

"By rejecting the international rule of law, Russia and Belarus have made it clear that they do not deserve the benefits of participating in the global economy, and that includes international travel."

Belavia_Boeing_737-500_EW-250PA_in_FRA
According to the US restrictions, companies are not allowed to provide refueling or maintenance services to seven of Belavia's jets. Photo: Biggerben via Wikimedia Commons

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A long list of planes barred from services

The Commerce Department further stated that restrictions that bar the jets from operating services abroad should effectively ground them from future international flights. Its list of planes subject to restrictions now includes 146 Russian-owned or operated aircraft, as well as the seven from Belarus.

Out of the targeted aircraft in Russia, about 40 are Aeroflot Boeing jets, both widebody 777s and single-aisle 737s. Twenty-one are operated by Azur Airlines, and 17 by UTair, and also all Boeing jets. By the end of last month, 90 aircraft leased to Russian airlines from foreign lessors had been seized while outside the country. Discover more aviation news here.

Belavia 737 in front of American Airlines plane
Boeing recently cut over 100 flights from its backlog due to the geopolitical situation. Photo: Nabil Molinari via Flickr

Will there be any more MAXs in Minsk?

Belavia leases only four of the aircraft currently in its fleet. One 737-500 comes from AerCap, one 737-800 from AltavAir, and another of the same NG model from Merx Aviation Finance. Last year, the airline received its first 737 MAX 8 jet leased from ALC and delivered on April 7.

Belavia has an order for a total of seven of the type, although what will happen to that in the near future is entirely unclear. Boeing recently removed 141 aircraft from its backlog of orders, and while no specific details were offered, about 90 of the orders were scrapped due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Do you think these kinds of aviation-related export sanctions are the right way to go about it, or could they potentially jeopardize the safety of passengers on unserviced or under-maintained aircraft? Leave a comment below and tell us your thoughts.

Source: Reuters