Putin to Seize 500 Foreign Aircraft, Redeploy for Domestic Use

March 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on support measures for civil aviation, providing the opportunity of registering rights to foreign airplanes leased by Russian companies and issuing domestic airworthiness certificates to them. The document was posted on the official web portal of legal information.

Amendments to the Russian Air Code and some other legislative acts make it possible for Russian airlines to keep the foreign aircraft fleet and give an opportunity to operate them on domestic lines. Civil aircraft will be certified using certification centers and test laboratories, with requirements to them to be determined by the Transport Ministry.

The law is aimed at preserving the foreign airplane fleet with Russian operators for purposes of smooth operation of civil aviation as part of anti-sanction measures, the explanatory note said.