Yakutia suspends Sakha republic flights pending Dash 8 landing-gear part

Yakutia has suspended flights within the Sakha republic until 24 October. The carrier says it is waiting for a component needed for the right-hand main landing-gear of its De Havilland Dash 8-300 turboprops.

The Yakutsk-based airline said ticket sales would restart once it has firm dates for the completion of the maintenance work and confirmation that the aircraft is ready to fly. It gave no further details on the part or the schedule.

Yakutia has flown Dash 8s for more than a decade, operating both the -300 and -400 variants, though only a small number of the -300s remain in the fleet. The type has been used on local routes linking smaller towns, and the airline had previously described the aircraft as well suited to the region's conditions.

Heavy maintenance on the aircraft was once carried out in North America and other countries. Around 2022 the carrier began bringing that work in-house, citing time and cost savings and the international sanctions placed on Russian air transport over the conflict in Ukraine.

Separately, the airline said it stopped operations to Ust-Nera airport in the Oymyakon district on 1 September. Dash 8-300 crews reported multiple issues with the runway on two days in August, and taking off or landing there could damage landing gear and structural components and lead to long delays and expensive unscheduled repairs. According to the carrier, flights to the airport will resume only after the runway meets regulatory requirements.