AviaSWIFT ban: Russia disconnected from main domain system in civil aviation

This was reported by the Aviatorshchina Telegram channel.

Some of the carriers have already received a notification. Such notifications were sent to companies last Friday by Ru-Center, an authorized Russian domain registrar for business, including the registration of .aero domain names.

The letter states that as of that day, SITA will stop providing services to clients from Russia.

However, the Swiss provider failed to immediately disconnect Russia from the aviation domain zone. After receiving the notification, Ru-Center immediately extended the validity of all its clients' domains for one year at its own expense to maintain the performance of their websites.

The Ru-Center press service added that at this time, registration and renewal of domains in the .aero zone is still possible, everything is working normally, as the restrictions have not yet come into force.

In the event of a shutdown, passengers would not be able to access the airline's website, complete online check-in, buy a ticket, or purchase additional services.

The international aviation domain zone .aero was created in 2002 and can only be used by airlines, airports, flying clubs, ticketing systems, etc.

To register in it, you need to provide a document confirming your affiliation with aviation.

In Russia, over 200 websites are registered in this domain zone, and about 30 airports and 15 airlines use the domain.

According to experts, the situation is not critical, and companies are advised to move their websites to other zones within a year.

It's worth noting that information emerged in mid-August indicating that in the fall of 2023, Russia is expected to be disconnected from the Swiss SITA system. This system, accounting for approximately 90% of the civil aviation market, is crucial for the exchange of information, including communications between airlines and airports.

• Russia was put under very tough sanctions on the aviation industry in 2022: most of the world's countries closed their skies to Russian airlines, and lessors, mainly from Ireland and Bermuda, demanded that all aircraft be returned to their owners. These aircraft were also stripped of their flight safety certificates. Russia is trying to circumvent the restrictions and is actually starting to pirate the aircraft. They are also hastily re-registering them. However, this does not eliminate the impact of sanctions. So, at the moment, Russian airlines can only fly domestically and to a few "friendly" countries, and then only as long as the aircraft are in good technical condition, since foreign companies will not supply them with repairs or spare parts. Leading aircraft manufacturers also joined the sanctions.
• On September 14, the ICAO issued a "red flag" to Russia, indicating serious problems in civil aviation safety.
• On October 1, Russia was not re-elected as a member of the governing board of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the UN, and on October 4, it was finally expelled from the governing bodies of this most authoritative structure in the industry.
• Since the end of 2022, incidents with passenger aircraft have become more frequent in Russia. Sanctions have led to numerous breakdowns and accidents.