Law on wet leasing of aircraft from foreign airlines could be passed 2025 - Russian transport minister

MOSCOW. March 19 (Interfax) - Russia's State Duma might debate a bill to extend wet leasing of aircraft to foreign routes at first reading in April, and it could be passed by the end of 2025, Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit told journalists on Wednesday.

"It should already have its reading [in April]. Yes, we plan [to pass the law] this year," Starovoit said.

A law on wet leasing was adopted In September last year, enabling Russian airlines to lease aircraft from each other along with their crews. The first such deal was made at the end of last year by Aeroflot , which leased three Airbus A330 with crew from iFly.

Wet leasing is so far permitted only for passenger transportation within Russia, but in the future there are plans to extend it to foreign flights as well - a bill on this has been drafted, Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin said in November. Aeroflot had previously forwarded such an initiative, which would enable Russian carriers to lease airliners from foreign companies, the group's CEO Sergei Alexandrovsky said.