Russia has approached Vietnam with a proposal to lease aircraft from local carriers to Russian airlines on a "wet" lease basis — together with crews and maintenance. The Moscow Times reports this, citing Interfax and Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, UNN writes.
Details
According to Nikitin, the Russian side has already sent the relevant proposals to Vietnam, and they are currently under consideration. Moscow explains the move by the growth in passenger traffic between the countries: according to the minister, the number of flights increased nearly threefold over the year.
A "wet" lease involves renting an aircraft together with its crew, maintenance, and other necessary services.
Russia has already looked for aircraft in other countries
After international sanctions were imposed, Russian airlines lost legal access to new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, as well as to a significant portion of spare parts and servicing. These aircraft account for about two-thirds of Russia’s civil aviation fleet and carry about 90% of passenger traffic.
Earlier, Moscow tried to negotiate "wet" leases with countries in Central Asia, as well as Qatar, Kuwait, and Ethiopia. In the summer of 2025, Ethiopia refused Russia, partly because of the risk of secondary U.S. sanctions. No similar agreements with other countries have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, problems with the technical condition of the aircraft fleet are worsening. According to Kommersant, in the summer, 130 of the 673 aircraft operated by Russia’s 11 largest airlines were not flying — almost 20% of the fleet.
Aircraft refueling was restricted at Sochi airport after an attack on an oil depot04.09.26, 18:32