S7 Airlines Reaches Settlement with Foreign Lessor Groups Involving 45 Aircraft
S7 Airlines has finalized an agreement with a group of foreign lessors, supported by the insurance company SK NSK LLC, covering 45 medium range aircraft and four aircraft engines. The disclosure came via a statement from the company and was reported by TASS. The arrangement involves nearly half of the airline’s fleet and marks a significant step in resolving outstanding lease and insurance considerations with the international lessors involved.
Under the settlement, AerCap, ALC, and SMBC Aviation Capital have withdrawn their claims against the Russian parties under the related insurance policies and lease agreements for the aircraft involved in the agreement. The confirmation of the settlement comes as part of the broader effort to stabilize S7 Airlines’ operational framework and maintain continuity of service amid ongoing market and regulatory challenges.
Looking ahead, S7 Airlines plans to adjust its flight schedule at the start of December. The carrier intends to reduce operations on certain routes as it redistributes its aircraft seasonally and optimizes timetables. Kommersant, citing multiple sources, reports that the autumn and winter schedule will be trimmed by about 10 to 15 percent due to constraints in the repair work on Airbus A320 and A321neo engines. This pattern of gradual capacity management aligns with the airline’s strategy to maintain reliability while navigating technical and logistical hurdles.
Earlier this autumn, a large warehouse in the Moscow region that stored aircraft tires for S7 caught fire. The incident did not appear to involve flight operations directly, but it prompted inquiries into the readiness and maintenance resilience of the carrier’s ground support and spares supply chain. The event underscores the broader risks airlines face beyond flight schedules, including storage and logistics infrastructure that support day-to-day operations.
In previous reports, S7 announced reductions to certain routes as part of its ongoing network optimization. These adjustments reflect the airline’s balancing act between fleet availability, maintenance cycles, and market demand across its destinations. The company remains focused on safeguarding service levels for core routes while exploring efficiency improvements in its fleet deployment and maintenance planning.