Sanctions imposed against Russia have ended more than five decades of 747 flying in the UK
Sanctions imposed against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine have brought about the end of more than 50 years of continuous Boeing 747 operations in the United Kingdom.
Just two jumbos were in UK service at the start of this year – both flown by CargoLogicAir - following the expedited retirements of British Airways' and Virgin Atlantic's fleets due to COVID-19. However, the East Midlands-based freight operator was part of the Volga Dnepr Group which is most famous for its Antonov An-124 and Ilyushin Il-76s, while it also owns CargoLogic Germany and AirBridgeCargo.
Several Russian airlines have been wary of operating aircraft owned by lessors seized by the state for fear of jeopardising relationships with lease providers should there be a thawing of international relations between Russia and the West. In line with this, AirBridgeCargo parked its entire fleet at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport at the beginning of March and has kept its jets grounded since then.
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