Russia has asked Vietnam to lease passenger jets complete with crews and maintenance as its domestic commercial fleet deteriorates under Western sanctions. Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin stated that Moscow proposed Vietnamese carriers transfer aircraft to Russian airlines under wet lease arrangements, a proposal that Hanoi is currently studying.
Secondary Sanctions Risk Stalls Vietnam Proposal
Vietnam’s primary carrier exclusively operates Boeing and Airbus models. Transferring these Western-built planes to Russian carriers creates secondary sanctions risks for leasing companies and operators.
This compliance exposure previously led Ethiopia to decline a similar Russian lease proposal. The arrangement covers aircraft, crews, maintenance, and insurance, which could expose participating international companies to United States penalties.
Approaches made to other nations across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have yielded no agreements. Russia’s outreach highlights the severe strain on its commercial fleet following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow re-registers foreign-leased Western aircraft
Following Western sanctions, Moscow enacted legislation allowing domestic airlines to re-register more than 400 foreign-leased Western aircraft rather than return them to rightful owners. Lessors have filed insurance claims totaling approximately $8 billion to recover these assets.
International aviation law prohibits the dual registration of aircraft, though the International Civil Aviation Organisation lacks enforcement mechanisms to compel their return. Before the conflict, approximately 85% of Russia’s 900 commercial aircraft were leased foreign-made Boeing or Airbus jets.
Airlines have resorted to cannibalizing the seized fleet for spare parts to keep other planes flying. Under international airworthiness standards, every component requires traceable maintenance history. Parts stripped from aircraft cut off from Western supply chains fail certification, forcing Russia’s aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, to issue domestic certificates unrecognized by EU or US authorities.
Fuel rationing hits Russian airports
Russian industry data shows that 130 of the 673 aircraft operated by the country’s 11 largest airlines are currently out of service. While normal downtime hovers around 10 percent, carriers outside the Aeroflot group face much higher idleness, with 93 of their 322 planes idle.
Fuel supply pressures compound these operational challenges. Restrictions on refueling exist at at least 26 major airports, according to the outlet Verstka. Airports in St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Ufa, Irkutsk, and Vladivostok now ration fuel to the volume needed for a single flight.
Southern airports in Sochi, Volgograd, and Astrakhan apply limits to all carriers. Ukrainian drone strikes on domestic oil refineries have reduced overall fuel production, prompting the government to restrict aviation fuel exports.
Government proposes passenger levy for domestic aircraft
The transport ministry, industry ministry, and state defense conglomerate Rostec are discussing a new passenger levy to fund domestically produced aircraft. The proposed charge ranges up to 500 roubles for domestic tickets and up to 1,000 roubles for international flights.
Domestically produced jets like the MC-21 and Tu-214 cost significantly more to operate than the Boeing and Airbus models they replace. Analysts warn that funding these replacements through higher ticket prices could reduce overall passenger numbers and cut airline revenues.
Why Russian airlines lack official spare parts?
Why are Russian airlines unable to buy official spare parts for their planes?
Western sanctions implemented after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine cut off direct supply chains for Boeing and Airbus parts. Consequently, Russian carriers cannot purchase certified components through standard international maintenance networks.
How much are lessors claiming for seized aircraft?
Foreign lessors have filed insurance claims totaling approximately $8 billion to recover commercial aircraft that were re-registered in Russia instead of being returned.
Which Russian airports are rationing jet fuel?
At least 26 major airports have introduced refueling restrictions, including facilities in St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Ufa, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Sochi, Volgograd, and Astrakhan.
Keep reading