Shukhrat IBODOV becomes AZUR air’s new CEO as Russian carrier faces growing maintenance pressure
AeroMorning – John Smith – August 17, 2026
Russian leisure carrier AZUR air has replaced its chief executive, with Evgeny Korolev stepping down after almost five years in charge.
The airline announced the change on 14 August 2026. Korolev, who had led AZUR air since October 2021, is leaving the company, while Shukhrat Ibodov, a former senior AZUR air executive, became acting CEO on 15 August.
According to the company’s announcement, Ibodov’s priorities will include improving operational efficiency and maintaining the company’s development. Korolev said in a farewell message to employees that he had decided to leave the CEO position and move to another job, while remaining in aviation. There has been no official statement linking his departure to a specific safety incident or regulatory breach.
A significant moment for AZUR air
The timing is nevertheless notable.
On 12 March 2026, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) restricted AZUR air’s operating certificate following an inspection that identified operational and technical shortcomings. The restrictions came after technical problems, delays and cancellations.
Rosaviatsia lifted the restrictions on 2 June, but reports indicate that some AZUR air aircraft still had to remain grounded for engine-related work.
The CEO change therefore comes as the airline is trying to improve reliability and aircraft availability. It would be premature, however, to say that Korolev was forced out because of the regulatory action. AZUR air has not made such a connection publicly.
What is AZUR air?
AZUR air is one of Russia’s major leisure and charter airlines, primarily carrying Russian tourists to international holiday destinations.
Its fleet is composed almost entirely of Boeing aircraft. Published fleet data show approximately 17 aircraft, including Boeing 757-200s and Boeing 767-300ERs, with a Boeing 737-800 also listed.
The carrier’s network is focused on major resort markets, notably Turkey, Vietnam and Thailand, with services also operated to other international leisure destinations depending on the season.
AZUR air is a substantial operator rather than a niche charter airline. The company has reported carrying more than two million passengers annually, with particularly high load factors on its international leisure services.
How can Russian airlines still operate Boeing aircraft under Western sanctions?
This is the key point.
Western sanctions do not prohibit an existing Boeing aircraft from physically flying in Russia. They restrict the supply chain around it.
The EU and UK sanctions regimes restrict the export, supply and transfer to Russia of aircraft, aircraft parts and related equipment, as well as certain aviation services.
Separately, Boeing and Airbus suspended their normal support and services for Russian airlines following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Russian carriers have had to rely increasingly on domestic maintenance capabilities, existing inventories, aircraft cannibalisation and alternative supply chains to keep their Western-built fleets flying.
Yet the aircraft themselves did not disappear. Russian airlines have kept many of them flying through a combination of:
- existing stocks of spare parts;
- cannibalisation of aircraft that are parked or no longer economically viable;
- Russian maintenance and repair organisations;
- locally repaired or manufactured components where possible;
- procurement through third countries.
Investigations have documented Western-made aircraft components reaching Russia through intermediary countries, despite the sanctions regime.
This does not mean that every component obtained through a third country is necessarily sanctioned or illegally exported. It does mean that the supply chain has become considerably more complicated and is subject to increasing scrutiny.
Iran offers Russia a useful precedent
Iran has faced Western aviation sanctions for decades and has developed extensive experience in maintaining Western-built aircraft without normal access to manufacturers and international suppliers.
The parallel with Russia is particularly relevant. Iranian airlines have had to rely on local maintenance capabilities, repaired or locally produced components, aircraft cannibalisation and parts obtained through third countries.
In July 2022, Iranian aviation authorities announced that Russia and Iran planned a memorandum covering the supply of Iranian-made aircraft parts and equipment to Russia, as well as the repair and maintenance of Russian aircraft by Iranian service centres.
The cooperation subsequently became concrete. In April 2023, Russian airline Aeroflot sent an Airbus A330-300 to Tehran for maintenance, with the aircraft undergoing technical work in Iran. Aeroflot confirmed that the Iranian provider had the necessary facilities, certificates and experience.
In the same year, Iranian and Russian aviation authorities said they had signed agreements to use each other’s infrastructure for aircraft repair and maintenance and pilot training, and discussed the possible joint use of spare parts produced by either country.
The relationship has continued to develop. In March 2025, Russia’s Transport Ministry said Russian and Iranian aviation authorities had agreed to deepen cooperation and exchange proposals for closer interaction between their airlines.
Iran therefore provides Russia with more than a potential source of maintenance services: it represents a model for operating a Western-built fleet under long-term sanctions.
AZUR air’s own maintenance capability
This is particularly relevant to AZUR air.
The airline has invested in its own technical infrastructure and maintenance capabilities, allowing it to reduce its dependence on the traditional manufacturer-supported ecosystem.
That strategy has become increasingly important because the Russian aviation industry is effectively operating a large fleet of Western-built aircraft without normal access to the Western support system.
The March 2026 regulatory action illustrates the problem. AZUR air was required to address shortcomings related to operations and airworthiness before Rosaviatsia lifted the restrictions in June.
The issue is therefore not simply whether a Boeing 757 or 767 can fly. It is whether the operator can maintain the aircraft, engines and components to the required standards year after year without normal access to the original manufacturer’s supply and maintenance network.
Russia has also developed its own regulatory framework for aircraft maintenance. The FAP-145 rules — Russian regulations governing maintenance organisations, aircraft, engines and components — entered into force in March 2025.
Russian authorities have also said that, in response to the ban on spare-parts supplies, they are certifying modifications and alternative technical solutions to maintain aircraft airworthiness.
A management change against this background
The appointment of Shukhrat Ibodov may reflect that priority.
Ibodov is not an outsider. He previously held a senior management position at AZUR air and is familiar with the company’s commercial and operational structure. His mandate explicitly emphasises operational efficiency.
That makes the change potentially significant: AZUR air is moving into a period in which aircraft availability, maintenance capacity and operational reliability are becoming at least as important as passenger demand.
The airline continues to have a strong leisure market, particularly on routes to Turkey and Southeast Asia. But maintaining a fleet of ageing Western-built aircraft under sanctions is a very different challenge from operating the same fleet before 2022.
For AZUR air, the departure of Korolev may therefore mark a management transition rather than a collapse of the business. The official explanation remains that he is leaving to pursue another position in aviation. But the timing, following the carrier’s 2026 regulatory difficulties, makes operational efficiency and maintenance resilience the most important issues facing his successor.
