Russia Has Asked Ethiopia To Lease Passenger Planes

Due to sanctions, the Russian Federation is deprived of direct access to Western aircraft and spare parts.

Russia has offered Ethiopian state carrier Ethiopian Airlines cooperation in the field of aircraft leasing and maintenance. This was reported by the industry publication ch-aviation with reference to a statement by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA). The talks were held on July 29 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The Russian delegation was headed by Russian Trade Representative in the country Yaroslav Tarasyuk, who held a meeting with ECAA Director General Yohannes Abera.

The Russian side voiced interest in the so-called "wet leasing" - the lease of aircraft with crew, maintenance and insurance. Such a scheme, as the publication notes, may allow Russian airlines to temporarily fill the shortage of foreign aircraft fleet in the conditions of summer peak demand. This is especially relevant against the background of sanctions, because of which Russia is deprived of direct access to Western aircraft and spare parts.

One of the possible ways to circumvent sanctions restrictions is the use of Boeing and Airbus aircraft under Ethiopian registration, with Ethiopian crew and maintenance. However, as ch-aviation emphasizes, such a deal could raise serious questions from US and EU regulators, potentially threatening Ethiopian Airlines' access to Western routes and airspace.

At the same time, due to disruptions in delivery schedules from Airbus and Boeing, the Ethiopian airline itself is experiencing a shortage of new aircraft. According to ch-aviation, 11 A350-900 and 11 Boeing 787-9 aircraft will be delivered to the Ethiopian Airlines fleet only by 2028, which is a year later than originally planned.

In addition to rent, other forms of cooperation were discussed during the meeting. In particular, supplies of Russian navigation equipment and participation in the development of aviation repair infrastructure in Ethiopia.

The Russian delegation also expressed interest in signing a new bilateral aviation agreement between the two countries and asked for Ethiopia's support in voting for the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Council.

The Ethiopian side, in turn, expressed readiness to carefully study Moscow's proposals after consultations with other interested agencies

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