An AirBridgeCargo Airlines Boeing 747-87U.
Charles Platiau/Reuters
- Volga-Dnepr Group has halted all Boeing flights as Western sanctions hit supply chains.
- Two of the airline’s subsidiaries, AirbridgeCargo and Atran, will stop flying, Reuters reported.
- The US and EU have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Moscow did the same in return.
Volga-Dnepr Group, Russia’s biggest cargo airline, has halted all flights using Boeing aircraft, following the imposition of Western sanctions.
Reuters and other media outlets first reported the story.
The airline announced on Friday that it had suspended operations of AirbridgeCargo and Atran, two of its subsidiaries, which operate exclusively with Boeing 747 and Boeing 737 freighters, per Reuters.
The news comes amid Western sanctions, which halted the supply of most aircraft and parts to Russia. Bermuda’s Civil Aviation Authority also decided to terminate the airline’s safety certificates.
In a statement shared with Reuters, Volga-Dnepr said: “The management of Volga Dnepr has made a conscious decision to find a possible solution together with partners and state regulators.”
Volga-Dnepr did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment made outside of normal working hours.
AirbridgeCargo’s fleet consists of 17 Boeing 747 and one Boeing 777, while Atran has a fleet of nine Boeing 737. Overall, 24 aircraft will be grounded.
Meanwhile, the US and EU have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, and Moscow did the same in return.
Volga-Dnepr’s fleet is not impacted by Western sanctions, however. Its aircraft are Russian-manufactured, per Simple Flying.
Aircraft lessors have until March 28 to get their planes out of Russia, amid the EU’s sanctions requiring all aircraft leasing companies to cancel their contracts with Russian airlines.
Vladimir Putin previously signed a law that will allow Russian airlines to take control of hundreds of Western-built planes leased from international firms.
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