U.S. Allows Boeing to Do Business with Belavia

According to Belarusian sources, the U.S. Department of Commerce has granted aircraft manufacturer Boeing a license to collaborate with the state-owned airline Belavia. Valentin Rybakov, Belarus’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, announced this on Belarusian television on October 31. The decision was made the previous day. No official statement from Washington was immediately available.

Belavia to Source Spare Parts Directly from Boeing

Belavia CEO Igor Cherginez told the state news agency BelTA that the airline would be able to purchase spare parts, components, and software for its aircraft directly from the manufacturer in the future. In addition, the license opens the door to negotiations on the purchase of new aircraft.

Belavia operates eight Boeing 737s of various models, including a 737 MAX 8, as well as aircraft from Embraer and Airbus. According to the Kyiv Post, until the sanctions were eased, the airline had to procure parts through intermediaries, incurring markups of 30 to 40 percent.

Gradual Easing Since Fall 2025

The U.S. had eased sanctions against Belavia in September 2025 after Minsk pardoned 52 convicted prisoners, including former presidential candidate Mikola Statkevich. At that time, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) authorized the operation and maintenance of eight Boeing aircraft but excluded flights to Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria.

In November 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury removed Belavia from its sanctions list. According to reports by the broadcaster Belsat and the industry service ch-aviation, a letter from the Department of Commerce issued that same month no longer listed Russia among the prohibited flight destinations. This was not officially confirmed.

The Boeing license follows other recent developments: Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department removed Andrei Rybakov, the CEO of potash producer Belaruskali, from its sanctions list.

What the Decision Means for Russia

According to Ukrayinska Pravda, Russian airlines operate approximately 700 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, the maintenance of which has been restricted since the Western sanctions were imposed. Aeroflot operates Boeing 737-800s, among other models—the same type as Belavia.

Ukrainian media and sanctions experts had already expressed concern following last year’s easing of sanctions that Belarus could become a source of spare parts for Russian airlines. The exile media outlet The Insider also pointed out that Russia could gain access to technical documentation for Boeing maintenance via Belarus.

The BIS had announced that it would review license applications related to Belavia on a case-by-case basis: the focus would be on whether the parts were intended for the maintenance of the Belarusian passenger fleet and on preventing their diversion. The exact terms of the new license for Boeing have not yet been made public.

Sources: Rambler, Vzglyad, BIS, ch-aviation, The Insider, Kyiv Post