Russia grounded as Ethiopia rejects aircraft leasing deal

Russia’s attempt to lease civilian aircraft from Ethiopia to support its struggling aviation sector has failed, according to Addis Insight, citing sources in the Ethiopian aviation industry.

In late July, a Russian delegation visited Addis Ababa to negotiate a leasing agreement. However, Ethiopia’s Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) declined the initiative, stating it lacked the authority to allocate aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airlines.

Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, confirmed that no substantive talks were held with the Russian side and no agreements were reached. He emphasized that the airline maintains close partnerships with U.S. companies and strictly adheres to both international and U.S. laws.

“Russia is under U.S. sanctions, and Ethiopian Airlines has strong operational and commercial ties with the United States. We are not prepared to assume the risks of violating international regulations,” Tasew stated.

According to Ch-aviation, the discussions centered on a possible “wet lease” — renting aircraft along with crew — for domestic use inside Russia. Russia’s trade representative in Ethiopia, Yaroslav Tarasyuk, reportedly led the talks.

This is not the first time Russian authorities have sought alternative aircraft sources following the start of the war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions. Previous overtures to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, and Qatar also ended without formal agreements.

The shortage of new aircraft has become critical for Russian airlines, which have lost access to Boeing and Airbus products. Before 2022, these two manufacturers accounted for roughly two-thirds of Russia’s civil aviation fleet and over 90% of passenger flights.

The crisis is deepening as the Russian government earlier this year halved its planned production of domestic aircraft, further exacerbating the shortfall.