Get you up to speed: The Russian plane that has sat at Swiss airport since start of Ukraine war | News World
An Aeroflot A321, named after Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, has been parked at Geneva airport since February 2022 due to sanctions barring Russian airlines from European airspace. The aircraft, coded VP-BOE, is reported to be in poor condition after over four years of exposure without the ability to return to Moscow.
The Aeroflot A321, which has been idle at Geneva Airport since February 27, 2022, has accumulated approximately £1.4 million in parking and ground handling charges. The aircraft, leased from GTLK, is unlikely to return to service due to the Russian state carrier’s inability to procure necessary parts amid ongoing sanctions.
The Aeroflot A321, named after Galina Vishnevskaya, has remained at Geneva airport since February 2022 due to sanctions that prohibit Russian aircraft from operating in European airspace, resulting in approximately £1.4 million in parking charges. With the aircraft in deteriorating condition and parts unobtainable due to ongoing restrictions, the likelihood of its recovery by Aeroflot is minimal, as confirmed by reports detailing the challenges faced by Russian airlines in sourcing necessary components.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain whether the aircraft is currently fuelled and catered or if its food supplies have spoiled.
Aeroflot plane has remained at Geneva airport since 2022 due to sanctions
Aeroflot ‘Galina Vishnevskaya’ has been parked in the same place since 2022 at Geneva airport after sanctions prevented it from returning to Moscow (Picture: DI NOLFI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
On the tarmac at Geneva airport, one particular plane has been stood idle for slightly longer than your average turnaround.
The Aeroflot A321, named after Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, has been parked at the Swiss gateway since 2022.
The Airbus aircraft coded VP-BOE, belonging to the Russian flag carrier was due to return home when sanctions banning the airline from European airspace prevented it from leaving.
Now the aircraft is thought to be in a poor condition, having been left exposed to the elements for more than four years, Simply Flying reported.
VP-BOE landed in Switzerland on February 27, 2022, days after Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
The following day, the Switzerland followed EU countries in banning all Russian aircraft from landing or taking off from its airports, leaving the Aeroflot plane stranded.
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Not only has it been out of service for all of this time, the aircraft has racked up around £1.4 million in parking and ground handling charges.
It is unclear whether the aircraft remains fuelled and catered, with any food onboard certainly rotten and highly likely to attract pests and insects.
To further complicate matters, while the aircraft was operated by Aeroflot, it did so under a lease agreement with GTLK or the State Transport Leasing Company.
This was through one of GTLK’s Irish subsidiaries which, following a high court order in 2023, are in the process of being wound up.
With assets valued at €4 billion, the process is the largest of its kind in Ireland, the Irish Independent reported.
The aircraft’s deteriorating state means it is unlikely to be reclaimed by the Russian state carrier, given that it is unable to acquire parts necessary to bring the plane back into service.
Russian airlines are currently banned from sourcing parts from major manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing.
However several are acquiring parts through the grey market. In August, a Florida court found a former Aeroflot employee used fake labels to ship nearly $1million worth of American parts to the airline.
Since the start of the war, several Russian assets have found themselves held in foreign nations following the imposition of sanctions against the Kremlin.
A heavy cargo plane operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines was seized by Canadian authorities after being stuck at Toronto Pearson airport.
Last month a court rejected an appeal application from the airline, leaving the huge Antonov AN-124 in limbo.
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