Page 59 - RB-107-2023-4

The company also forecasts that in the long run, the Russian air industry’s share of retreaded tyres in the industry could reach 60%. A PRESSING ISSUE The current political situation has affected the Russian aircraft tyre industry, as sanctions make it challenging for air companies to source new tyres, the company said, emphasising that “import-replacement is a vital task.” In general, modern aircraft tyres can be retreaded up to 4 times, the company added, citing successful foreign examples, as Russian tyres are currently retreaded in India by local company, Elgi Aviation Tyres. Indeed, there are signs that the Russian aviation industry is experiencing difficulties sourcing tyres in sufficient quantities. In early 2023, Russian publication Aviation Russia reported that a fire at the Barnaul tyre plant had left the country’s flagship aircraft, Superjet 100, without domestic tyres. The plant manufactured tyres for Tu, Il, An, and Yak aircrafts. In 2022, aircraft tyres developed for the Superjet 100 successfully passed tests at the plant and were expected to hit the market by March 2023 to replace Michelin tyres that Russian air companies primarily used on their Superjet 100s. The fire disrupted the technological chain, and it is expected that it will not be restored earlier than by the end of 2023, Aviation Russia reported. BACK TO THE ROOTS This is not the first attempt to retread aircraft tyres in Russia. In Soviet times, Yaroslavl Tyre Plant YaShRZ handled around 15,000 tyres in the 1980s, though giving a second life to aircraft tyres never became mainstream, and most casings in the industry were not fit for anything other than disposal. Despite that, no reclamations associated with retreaded aircraft tyres are known from that period, the company said. In the mid-90s, an experimental batch of domestic diagonal tyres 930x305 with tread reinforcement was retreaded at the Scientific Research Institute of Tyre Industry, and their comprehensive laboratory and bench tests were carried out, Melaris said. Russian aircraft designer Tupolev and the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation carried out controlled operation of these tyres on civil aviation aircraft, including those serving regular passenger flights. Based on positive test results, industrially retreaded tyres were allowed to be used in the industry. However, in the early 1990s, YaShRZ was liquidated, and the industrial aircraft tyre retreading in the country was suspended. COUNTRY REPORT - RUSSIA