Photo: Facebook / Aeronews
“How the mighty have fallen” is a phrase you hear often enough to lose its impact. The latest development in the Roman Abramovich saga shows just how poignant it can be.
Roman Abramovich is on the international sanctions list, despite his insistence that he is a Russian expat living in the UK, with no connection to President Putin and, as such, no responsibility in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In March this year, he fled the UK after the Brits decided to sanction him, and is believed now to be in Russia or Turkey, completely out of reach.
Meanwhile, his $3 billion asset collection is subject to sanctions and, according to recent reports, stuck in limbo in various neutral territories, if only for the reason that he no longer has the liquidities to afford weekly maintenance and wages. The collection includes two of the world’s most expensive megayachts, Solaris and Eclipse, and two of the world’s most expensive private jets, the Bandit and the newer acquisition dubbed the New Bandit.
The so-called New Bandit is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner he bought just in December last year from an airline that never got to use it, so it’s technically brand new. He reportedly paid some $300 million for it and then another $105 million to customize it, including a new layout that can sit 30 guests, 10 crew and 10 security personnel. There are only 250 jets of this kind in the world, and only three are privately owned, including one that belonged to the President of Mexico.
In case you were thinking the New Bandit slipped off the map, you’re right. It did. Its last recorded flight was from Moscow, Russia to Dubai, UAE, on March 4, and it’s been stuck there ever since. Earlier this month, the U.S. Commerce Department updated its Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to include it among aircraft and airlines denied export privileges. This means that the aircraft can’t receive standard and regular services like refueling, replacement of parts, maintenance, or repair services without the approval of the U.S. government.
“By preventing these aircraft from receiving any service, including from abroad, international flights from Belarus or Russia on these aircraft are effectively grounded,” the Commerce Department says, as reported by Reuters.
Meanwhile, his $3 billion asset collection is subject to sanctions and, according to recent reports, stuck in limbo in various neutral territories, if only for the reason that he no longer has the liquidities to afford weekly maintenance and wages. The collection includes two of the world’s most expensive megayachts, Solaris and Eclipse, and two of the world’s most expensive private jets, the Bandit and the newer acquisition dubbed the New Bandit.
The so-called New Bandit is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner he bought just in December last year from an airline that never got to use it, so it’s technically brand new. He reportedly paid some $300 million for it and then another $105 million to customize it, including a new layout that can sit 30 guests, 10 crew and 10 security personnel. There are only 250 jets of this kind in the world, and only three are privately owned, including one that belonged to the President of Mexico.
In case you were thinking the New Bandit slipped off the map, you’re right. It did. Its last recorded flight was from Moscow, Russia to Dubai, UAE, on March 4, and it’s been stuck there ever since. Earlier this month, the U.S. Commerce Department updated its Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to include it among aircraft and airlines denied export privileges. This means that the aircraft can’t receive standard and regular services like refueling, replacement of parts, maintenance, or repair services without the approval of the U.S. government.
“By preventing these aircraft from receiving any service, including from abroad, international flights from Belarus or Russia on these aircraft are effectively grounded,” the Commerce Department says, as reported by Reuters.
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