Loading ...Officials in Russia had until Monday to return aircraft leased to the country by companies in EU nations, but many have already given up their planes as lost causes. Especially after President Putin signed a law allowing airlines to register leased aircraft as Russian in defiance of international law.
Russia leases most of the aircraft that operate in its fleet from the rest of the world. Those contracts dissolved as sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine mounted, leaving over 400 airplanes in legal limbo. Companies recalled their aircraft and Russia just kept flying them. Putin made it clear they were going to hold on to the planes. It seems to be a mass theft of historic proportions. From Reuters: