The Boeing 737-400 F of the Russian airline Atran was supposed to have flown on to Liège in Belgium on Feb. 28, 2022, but on Feb. 27, German airspace was closed to Russian aircraft. Since then, the Boeing has been parked on a "parking slab outside" the airport, according to airport spokesman Lukas Weinberger. The usual parking fees there amount to 150 to 180 euros per day for the airline, according to Weinberger. So in the meantime, the total of the parking fees has reached between 58,000 euros and more than 70,000 euros. But the airline is not yet receiving notices of payment due as the fees are not collected until departure.

According to media reports, an Airbus of the Russian airline Aeroflot is parked at Munich Airport. There, the charges there are significantly higher than in Cologne - the bill in Munich for that plane now amounts to more than 130,000 euros. Munich Airport confirmed the information. Several media outlets also report that an Aeroflot Airbus A321 is stranded in Geneva. Three Russian Antonov aircraft are parked at Leipzig-Halle Airport, according to MDR. Russian planes are also stranded at other European airports.

At Cologne/Bonn Airport, the Boeing is the only Russian aircraft, Weinberger confirmed last year: "No other aircraft from Russian airlines are parked here," the spokesman said. There are no Russian aircraft at the airports in Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Münster, as spokespersons responded last year when asked.

In response to a question, the German Federal Ministry of Transport explained why it is practically impossible for the aircraft to take off right now. According to a statement, the sanctions against Russia include a "comprehensive flight ban on aircraft that are Russian-owned, have Russian registration, are chartered by Russian individuals or legal entities, or are otherwise controlled." The aircraft in Cologne is not permitted to be moved to another airport, according to the ministry's press office. And the response from Berlin goes on to say, "In addition, maintenance work is also prohibited during the sanctions. Therefore, it can be assumed that the aircraft is currently not airworthy anyway.”

Even selling the aircraft wouldn't be easy, according to the transport ministry: "In the event of a sale, it would have to be proven that the sale and acquisition were sanction-compliant and that the new owner did not fall under the criteria of EU Sanctions Regulation 833/2014.”

What is possible: re-parking. Aircraft can be easily moved on the ground without a key. Tow trucks can reach under the nose wheel and move the aircraft to where it is not in the way. This has already been done several times in Munich. In Cologne, however, such an action has not yet been necessary, says Weinberger.

According to a report by the Russian agency Interfax, the oligarch Alexei Isaikin, who is said to have withdrawn from the business in August 2022, was behind Atran. Isaikin is on the United Kingdom's sanctions list by name, and he is said to have supported the Russian government, according to the official document. His assets in the UK are frozen.

Orig text: Anja Wollschlaeger; Translation: ck