LONDON, March 28. /TASS/. London’s High Court ruled that a $10 bln legal dispute between Western reinsurers and Russian aircraft leasing companies should be heard in London, Reuters reported.
The agency refers to a ruling by Judge Andrew Henshaw that the cases should continue in London because "the claimants are very unlikely to obtain a fair trial in Russia".
Aircraft lessors, including Ireland's AerCap and U.S.-listed Carlyle Aviation Partners, are seeking compensation from Russian airlines. They are pursuing insurers for losses after Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine grounded their jets in Russia.
In March 2022, after the Western countries imposed sanctions on the Russian aviation, President Vladimir Putin signed a law on measures to support civil aviation, allowing domestic air carriers to register rights to foreign aircraft under lease. Subsequently, a number of Russian airlines, including the Aeroflot group, S7 and Ural Airlines, completed insurance settlements for dozens of aircraft with foreign lessors. They ceased their claims against Russian parties both under insurance policies and under aircraft lease agreements.