Russian airlines will keep planes leased from foreign firms

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law letting Russian airlines register planes leased to them by foreign companies and continue flying them. Russian state media said the law will let Russian airlines keep their fleets and operate foreign planes on routes within Russia. Many of the planes used by Russian airlines are leased from foreign companies, including several in Ireland. Last month, the EU banned the sale or leasing of planes to Russia as part of sanctions to punish Russia for invading Ukraine. Various estimates place the number of foreign-owned planes operated by Russian airlines at around 500 or more, and the vast majority of them were inside Russia when the war started Feb. 24.