Stranded in Cuba: Western sanctions on Russia affect 300 tourists due to faulty plane

Western sanctions affect not just the military, but also the civil aviation industry. This effect was felt by the Russians who were unable to depart from Cuba to Moscow for several hours.

Mash channel reports that this pertains to flight N4552 from Cayo Coco to Moscow, serviced by Nordwind Airlines. The flight was originally scheduled to depart on February 8, at 18:00 local time. "However, the takeoff was delayed to 05:40 a.m., the initial reason given was a shortage of fuel. Later, it was announced that the plane had sustained damage", the report reads.

Approximately 300 Russians are stuck at the airport, with some struggling to maintain their composure.

Besides the collective cry of, "we want to go home", some tourists are arguing.

Since the start of the year, aircraft from Russian airlines have experienced at least 15 malfunctions. "In one-third of the instances, the engine was the issue", New Edition's portal reported in late January.

The Federal Aviation Transport Agency indicates that from January to November 2023, there were 670 "serious aviation incidents" in Russia, of which 400 were attributed to "aircraft failure".

- The issues are apparent: carriers are unable to purchase original spare parts legally. Aviation authorities permit the use of parts beyond their safety standard life span, leading to accidents - notes Andrej Patrakov, Head of RunAvia, a company specializing in-flight safety.