S7 Airlines Airbus A321neo
In a self-published statement on LinkedIn, Oleg Evdokimov, the President of MelonAero, a Montenegro-based company, said that international airlines based in Egypt and the Philippines have offered S7 Airlines, as well as the Russian government, to take over some of the Russian carrier’s Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
According to Evdokimov, S7 Airlines currently has 39 A320neo and A321neo aircraft, with only 11 aircraft presently flying in active service. “[…] the rest are grounded, leading to deterioration in airworthiness and significant economic losses,” the statement read, adding that the two ‘volunteer’ airlines are Egypt-based AlMasria Universal Airlines (AlMasria Airlines) and Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) International from the Philippines. The pair is ready to take over up to seven aircraft from the Russian carrier.
Both airlines “expressed readiness” to fly routes connecting holiday destinations with Russian cities, with Evdokimov confirming that MelonAero, a company established in Montenegro on May 16, 2024, according to the Central Register of Business Entities of Montenegro’s (Centralnog registra privrednih subjekata, CRPS) records, has sent official proposals to the Russian Ministry of Transport (???????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????, MinTrans) and the country’s officials, namely Mikhail Mishutin, the Prime Minister of Russia, and Vitaly Savelyev, the Deputy Minister of MinTrans.
According to Flightradar24, Al Masria Airlines currently has scheduled flights from Hurghada International Airport (HRG) and Sharm el-Sheik International Airport (SSH) to four Russian airports: Kaliningrad Khrabrovo Airport (KGD), Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO), Moscow Vnukovo International Airport (VKO), and St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED). The Egyptian carrier has eight aircraft, including two A320ceo, four A321ceo, and two Boeing 737-400s in its fleet.
Meanwhile, SEAIR International is a Philippines-based cargo carrier. It has described itself as an “all-cargo airline” based at Clark International Airport (CRK), regularly flying its two 737-200 and 737-300 converted freighters in the Philippines, according to SEAIR International’s website. The airline, founded in 2011, was acquired by Cebu Pacific Air in 2014. Just before the sale of its passenger operations, it was flying as Tigerair Philippines, including international routes between Singapore and the Philippines. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Tigerair and other shareholders.
Evdokimov concluded that with these proposals, facilitated by MelonAero, “we are not discarding assets — we’re restoring their purpose,” adding that the A320neo family aircraft “can and should fly, provided there is technical and legal support.” Per the CRPS, Evdokimov is a founder and 50% shareholder of MelonAero, with the other founder, Oleg Bardeev, holding another 50%. Bardeev’s LinkedIn profile indicated that he is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, based in Montenegro, which is not part of the European Union (EU). Both Bardeev and Evdokimov are Russian nationals.
Kommersant, a Russia-based daily, reported that a source close to the government said that they had received the proposal and are reviewing MelonAero’s proposal. Ch-aviation records showed that S7 Airlines has 30 A320neo and seven A321neo, with only 11 A320neo aircraft currently active. The 37 A320neo family aircraft were delivered between July 20, 2017, and February 17, 2022, with the latter, an A321neo, presently registered as RA-73443, arriving in Russia just a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, resulting in a three-year war that has claimed thousands of lives in Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion resulted in Western countries, including the United States, as well as member states of the European Union (EU), placing sanctions on the country’s industries, including aerospace. As a result, Russian airlines have been unable to receive new parts directly from manufacturers, including Airbus and Boeing, resorting to middlemen and third-country companies to obtain spares for their aircraft.
For S7 Airlines, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that its A320neo family aircraft are all powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine. In July 2023, RTX, the parent company of Pratt & Whitney, disclosed that “a rare condition in powder metal used to manufacture certain engine parts will require accelerated fleet inspection.” The powder metal issues, affecting engines built between Q4 2015 and Q3 2021, resulted in hundreds of PW1100G-powered A320neo family aircraft being grounded due to accelerated removals and inspections, which have put a strain on the engine maker’s supply chain and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) network, with the problem continuing to this day.
Nevertheless, Konmersant also indicated that both AlMasria Airlines and SEAIR International are ready to take on the legal and financial burden of the aircraft, which could throw a spanner in the works for the plan to export the aircraft to Egypt and/or the Philippines, since, according to the Russian outlet, S7 Airlines A320neo and A321neos are owned by foreign lessors.
Per planespotters.net, before they were re-registered onto the Russian aircraft registry, the A320neo and A321neos were leased from AerCap, Air Lease Corporation (ALC), Avolon, Aviation Capital Group (ACG), BOC Aviation, Deucalion Aviation, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Capital, and SMBC Aviation Capital.
An additional hurdle could be the fact that, since the invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions that have been placed upon Russia’s airlines, moving aircraft out of Russia has to be approved by several governmental stakeholders, including the Russian Federal Security Service (??????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????????, FSB).
Russian carriers have attempted to thwart sanctions, and in addition to endeavors – some of which had been successful – to acquire parts via intermediaries, they have partnered with Iran and its aerospace industry to maintain their aircraft. In October 2023, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) confirmed “significant contracts” between Russian companies and their Iranian counterparts to maintain the former’s airlines’ aircraft.
Recently, reports have surfaced suggesting that Ethiopian Airlines could wet lease aircraft to Russian airlines and provide spare parts for their aircraft. The Ethiopian airline, which has an extensive network across Europe and North America, issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, denying these rumors.
“We would like to inform all concerned that Ethiopian Airlines has never been requested or discussed on this topic with any party. Moreover, it does not have any plan or intention to do so. Hence, the news is unfounded,” it said, adding that it would like to assure that its operations are compliant with applicable international laws, regulations, and contractual obligations.”
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