The Russian government has proposed leasing aircraft from Ethiopia's "Ethiopian Airlines" on a "wet lease" basis (including crew, maintenance, and insurance), but the company rejected this offer. The company's CEO, Mesfin Tasew, announced this.
According to his words, "Ethiopian Airlines" has strong commercial ties with the U.S. and strictly adheres to international regulations and U.S. legislation. "We cannot take on such risks," emphasized Tasew. He also added that the company itself currently does not feel the need for additional aircraft.
Earlier, Russia had also held negotiations on aircraft leasing with airlines from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Kuwait. This method was adopted from Iran's practice of circumventing sanctions. Western sanctions prohibit Russia from purchasing new aircraft and their spare parts.
