Stolen Russian Airliners

[Geriaviator]

Russian Confiscation of Aircraft under legal dispute

AVIATION CONTENT !!!

Carlyle Aviation Partners is the latest leasing group suing dozens of insurance firms, claiming a total of about $700 million after aircraft were seized by the Russians. It has filed in Miami that more than 30 insurers have failed to pay up on policies covering 23 Airbus and Boeing jets stranded in Russia.

Earlier this year AerCap, the world’s biggest aircraft leasing business, filed a claim thought to be worth about $3.5 billion aiming to recoup the value of about 100 aircraft, and last month Dubai Aerospace Enterprise sued insurers two months after it wrote off almost $600 million for 19 aircraft stuck in the country. Leased aircraft worth at least $10 billion are thought to be seized in Russia.

As this is a Special Military Operation rather than a war I wonder if war risks are covered by the affected insurance policies?

Of course this is small beer compared to the reparations that will rightly be sought by Ukraine. If this mess is ever sorted out I would think that lessors and insurance companies may be reluctant to finance Russian aviation.

[Asturias56]

Depends - I once saw a policy that referred to "the Restraints of Princes" - which I you couldn't claim against - rather covers the situation here I'd have thought

[Trinity 09L]

Legal staff on both sides will be kept busy for years £+$ all round.

[Commander Taco]

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise sued insurers two months after it wrote off almost $600 million for 19 aircraft

Huh. Why doesn’t Dubai Aerospace just slap liens on and sieze the oligarch’s aircraft parked in Dubai? Zero sympathy for DAE.

[RatherBeFlying]

It all depends on policy wording. But usually war or acts of war, or government seizure are excluded from insurance policies issued in the normal course of affairs.

Shipping can be insured in high risk areas at significantly higher premiums.
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[Maninthebar]

Originally Posted by RatherBeFlying

It all depends on policy wording. But usually war or acts of war, or government seizure are excluded from insurance policies issued in the normal course of affairs.

Shipping can be insured in high risk areas at significantly higher premiums.
​​​​​​

Which cost is then passed on to the final consumer

[Big Pistons Forever]

I think this is an industry game changer for the airline leasing companies. A year ago the idea that 550 airliners would be stolen by government fiat was inconceivable, but not now. I imagine certain African, Asian, and South American countries with problematic governments are going to have a harder nd more expensive time leasing aircraft for their home airlines.

[Big Pistons Forever]

After an initial flurry of reports there doesn't seem to much news as to what Russian airliners are doing with their Western airplanes. Have they managed to effectively circumvent sanctions or are there an increasing number of tails being grounded due to lack of spares ?

[fdr]

Some spares for a n A320 sitting in the middle of the tundra...

[Mike Flynn]

Plenty of Russian Boeing and Airbus flying in and out of Phuket,Thailand. The island is becoming overcrowded with Russian tourists.
Air Astana and Aeroflot are operating several flights a day and a lot of the passengers are men who have confessed to me it’s any easy way to escape conscription.


.

[Flying Hi]

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

Plenty of Russian Boeing and Airbus flying in and out of Phuket,Thailand.The island is becoming overcrowded with Russian tourists.
.

Obviously carrying out a 'Special Tourist Operation' much like as in Turkey Summer 2023.

[Lordflasheart]

Sanctions Out-Flankered ?

...
Sept 12th 2023 - "Russia buys sanctioned parts for aircraft through friendly countries: the UAE, China and Turkiye at the top - ... "https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/09/12/7419552/

December 6th 2023 - "Flanked by Russian fighters, Vladimir Putin jets into Middle East" - ....https://www.dailysabah.com/world/eur...to-middle-east

It probably helps when your best mates make many of the bits you need. ... What's wrong with keeping the production line going for a while after lights out ? ... Who's counting ?

LFH

[rog747]

Russian holiday charter Jets also going in to the Maldives, as well as to Thailand and Turkey ......Those resorts want the tourist Roubles

[FUMR]

I imagine China is a massive source of spares for western aircraft!

[Geriaviator]

I wonder if we could persuade Delboy and Associates to produce a range of suitable spares for the Russian airline pirates?

[Mike Flynn]

I wonder what checks are put on UK aircraft breakers exporting to middlemen who then sell on through front companies.Key components such as engines and undercarriages must be valuable commodities.

[Asturias56]

there are checks and I believe a number of outfits have been caught over the years

[Mike Flynn]

The problem for insurers is if they recover some of these airframes what value do they have?

[krismiler]

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

The problem for insurers is if they recover some of these airframes what value do they have?

Without the maintenance records and likely fitted with dodgy parts they are basically scrap metal. No reputable airline will buy one and no reputable authority will put it on the register.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by krismiler

Without the maintenance records and likely fitted with dodgy parts they are basically scrap metal. No reputable airline will buy one and no reputable authority will put it on the register.

That said, many of the illegally RA-reregistered aircraft are still technically on the Bermudan register. But they are, as you rightly say, now worthless.