Aviation is one of the most expensive logistics carriers in the world. You pay for everything in aviation. Its specialists should possess expensive certificates in order to be able to work. Your flight can last several minutes or more than fifteen hours. Basically, you pay for the speed. During your flight, there are not that many things you can do on board but if you enjoy gambling you can play the PlayAmo app, and maybe when you land, you will get richer.
The Russian cargo airline AirBridgeCargo is discussing leasing its Boeing 747s to Etihad Airways. These planes are under US sanctions and cannot fly overseas. The airlines plan to register a joint venture in the UAE and continue operating the aircraft. Discussion of the deal stalled after the imposition of British sanctions against the owner of the Volga-Dnepr air group (which includes AirBridgeCargo) Alexei Isaikin. Arab partners fear falling under secondary sanctions. But if the United States considers this deal critical to maintaining the maximum effect of the sanctions, mechanisms of pressure on the Arabs will be found.
Other Owners
The Russian cargo airline AirBridgeCargo (part of the Volga-Dnepr cargo air group) is negotiating the transfer of its Boeing 747 aircraft on a financial lease to the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Etihad Airways. The airlines also plan to register a joint venture in Abu Dhabi, sources said.
There are issues with the withdrawal, and departure of aircraft from Moscow (some of the liners are under US sanctions, they cannot operate international flights), as well as with personnel and maintenance for them. Etihad does not have a flight crew for a Boeing 747 but is already planning to train.
Etihad currently operates five Boeing 777 cargo aircraft. AirBridgeCargo currently has 16 Boeing 747s in its fleet. Another one was returned to the landlord in March. Of the remaining, eight or ten were leased from foreign firms. The deal will be discussed at the upcoming Etihad board meeting in Abu Dhabi.
Under Sanctions
In mid of March, the US Department of Commerce compiled a sanctions list of Boeing aircraft in operation with Russian airlines, banning the refueling, maintenance, and repair of liners without obtaining special permission from the authorities of this country. The US Department of Commerce also included 12 Boeing 747 AirBridge Cargo. On March 30, the list was adjusted, reducing it to 11 boards. And as of May 20, six AirBridgeCargo aircraft remain in it.
Of the 16 Boeing 747s the airline has, 14 have been parked at Sheremetyevo since the beginning of March, one has been parked at Domodedovo since March 12, and another has been at Sharjah International Airport (UAE) since February 11, according to the Flightradar portal. In March, against the backdrop of sanctions, flights were also suspended by another airline of the Volga-Dnepr Group. It has nine Boeing 737s in its fleet.
The situation is still complicated and ongoing. Not every country has a park for large cargo aircraft. Blocking such companies won’t influence the results of a war in Ukraine, but rather influence the world’s logistics instability.
