An Aeroflot A321, named after Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, has been parked at Geneva airport since 2022, accumulating around £1.4 million in parking and ground handling charges.
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.
Plane stranded by sanctions
VP-BOE landed in Switzerland on February 27, 2022, days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The following day, Switzerland followed EU countries in banning all Russian aircraft from landing or taking off from its airports, leaving the Aeroflot plane stranded.
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. It is unclear whether the aircraft remains fuelled and catered, with any food onboard certainly rotten and highly likely to attract pests and insects.
Lease complications and deteriorating state
While the aircraft was operated by Aeroflot, it did so under a lease agreement with GTLK, or the State Transport Leasing Company, through one of GTLK’s Irish subsidiaries. Following a high court order in 2023, those subsidiaries 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.
Russian assets held abroad
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 $1 million 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.
