Aeroflot Purchases Boeing 777s Stranded in Russia

DALLAS – Aeroflot (SU) has confirmed the purchase of 10 Boeing 777 jets from Irish aircraft leasing firms. The planes were stranded in Russia after international sanctions were imposed on the country's aviation industry in response to Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine.

The Boeing aircraft had been under financial lease from an Irish leasing company since 2013 and 2014, according to a statement seen by the Russian state-owned news agency, TASS, on December 30, 2022.

In May 2022, the Russian flag carrier purchased eight Airbus A330 widebodies that were also leased from Western companies. The Airbus jets were also stranded in Russia after international sanctions were imposed on the country.

https://airwaysmag.com/aeroflot-purchases-leased-aircraft/

Comments from Aeroflot

The airline stated in the Russian news outlet that it would "continue to work on further implementation of transactions for the purchase of aircraft in order to maintain the current fleet of foreign-made aircraft in operation and expand the possibility of their operation. This approach also confirms the reliability of Aeroflot as a counterparty that responsibly fulfills its contractual obligations.”

Although SU did not specify which lessors were involved in the recent acquisition, the carrier confirmed that the transaction was completed following "all the required permits from Russian and foreign regulators," as reported by aerotime.aero, though it is yet unknown if the sale will mean the Irish lessor will incur in penalties for violating EU laws or restrictions.

https://airwaysmag.com/aeroflot-order/

Featured image: Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER (VP-BFC). Photo: Daniel Gorun/Airways