Russia moves to extend foreign leased aircraft regime to end of 2028

Russia's Transport Ministry has drafted a government resolution that would allow domestic airlines to keep operating foreign-leased aircraft and engines until December 31, 2028, a two-year extension of a special legal framework created after the invasion of Ukraine.

The proposal extends arrangements established under Government Resolution No. 412, adopted on March 19, 2022. The regime covers aircraft and engines leased from foreign companies under agreements concluded before February 24, 2022. It was designed as a temporary measure for 2022, then extended through 2024 and to the end of 2026.

According to the business newspaper Vedomosti, which reviewed the latest draft, an explanatory note states the extension protects the rights of Russian legal entities against actions by countries Moscow considers unfriendly.

What does the regime actually allow?

The framework lets Russian carriers continue fulfilling qualifying leasing agreements under domestic procedures. It governs contractual payments, operations, maintenance, repairs and insurance. Maintenance and repair work must be performed by organisations holding Russian compliance documentation, and Russian companies handle insurance and reinsurance.

The framework also regulates export of affected aircraft from Russia, subject to restrictions under a separate presidential decree. It does not resolve ownership disputes or transfer titles to Russian operators.

The backdrop is substantial. Russian airlines held 515 foreign-leased aircraft in February 2022, with an estimated combined value of approximately $10 billion. After the invasion, international lessors demanded their aircraft back while Western sanctions cut off supply of aircraft, components and maintenance services.

Some aircraft were detained outside Russia; others were returned or acquired by Russian interests. Of 407 aircraft that remained in Russia, lessor claims were settled for 204 between 2022 and 2025, according to Vedomosti. That leaves roughly 203 aircraft with unresolved claims.

Around 100 of the settled aircraft were associated with Aeroflot Group, which includes Aeroflot, Rossiya Airlines and Pobeda. Settlements largely ran through insurance arrangements, with Russian leasing company NLK-Finans acting as intermediary.

How serviceable are the fleets?

The legal framework has not removed technical and supply-chain constraints. The Transport Institute, citing Vedomosti, reported that S7 Airlines operates 39 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft owned by foreign lessors, more than a third of its fleet. Only 11 A320neo were reported in operation.

The special regulation permits maintenance under Russian procedures but does not guarantee access to replacement engines, original components or the international support networks operators previously used.

Russia's commercial fleet has also contracted. The number of aircraft operated by Russian airlines declined from approximately 1,160 in the first half of 2022 to 1,135 by the end of 2025, of which 1,088 were in service.

What relief do domestic programmes offer?

The extension reflects slow progress in replacing foreign-built types. Aeroflot Group expects its first eight MC-21 aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2027, followed by ten more in 2028. The schedule was cited by the Transport Institute after an October 28 meeting between Aeroflot CEO Sergei Alexandrovsky and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov has indicated certification of the SJ-100 with the domestically developed PD-8 engine is expected in spring 2027.

Even if met, these schedules deliver no more than 18 MC-21s to Aeroflot by end-2028, far short of the roughly 200 aircraft industry-wide still tied to unresolved lessor claims. Certification timelines, production rates and domestic component availability will determine how quickly Russian airlines can reduce their dependence on foreign-built aircraft.

What happens next?

The Transport Ministry has sent the proposal to the Association of Air Transport Operators (AEVT), which has circulated it to Russian airlines. Carriers are expected to submit feedback by November 17, 2026, according to Russian media reports.

The government has not yet approved the extension. If adopted, it moves the regime's expiry from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2028 — giving carriers two more years of legal cover without settling who owns the aircraft, restoring Western maintenance access, or securing spare parts and engines.