Russian Oligarchs Luxury Jets: A $10B Fleet

If you combine the Russian Oligarchs Luxury Jets into one company, you get a primary carrier, the second in terms of the number of aircraft after Aeroflot, with a fleet of more than 250 aircraft. In total, the Russians own up to 500 business jets, and most of them are registered abroad. Sanctions against Russian businessmen adopted by the US Treasury on April 6, 2018, ruined the lives of billionaires and launched a wave of sales.

Having fallen under sanctions, Oleg Deripaska was forced to abandon three Gulfstream G550 aircraft. Credit Suisse and Raiffeisen Bank broke leasing contracts with Deripaska’s companies, and the jets were put up for sale at $30 million. Crocus Group owner Araz Agalarov found himself in a similar situation: he had to urgently repay a $20 million loan from the American bank Stonebriar Commercial Finance, where he had pledged his Gulfstream G550. 

The planes of several more businessmen who fell under sanctions appeared on the market, for example, Suleiman Kerimov (Boeing BBJ2 and Bombardier Global Express XRS) and Boris Rotenberg (Bombardier Global). Businessmen are afraid to find themselves in a situation similar to where Volga Group owner Gennady Timchenko found himself: Gulfstream stopped fulfilling contractual obligations and supplying spare parts for his Gulfstream G650. 

“Accordingly, a number of other aircraft of Russian owners were also taken out of service, they refused to provide them with after-sales support, and the warranty was voided. Some European and American operators began to refuse transportation to citizens who are on the sanctions list, not to mention the sale of new equipment, ”explains Pavel Zakharov, managing director of Jet24. As a result, Timchenko’s plane landed on a subsidiary of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Cypriot Amerivo Holdings.

Who owns what boards – in the Forbes rating of “50 most expensive aircraft of Russian businessmen.”

50 most expensive planes of Russian businessmen

	Estimated owner	Country of registration	brand	Year of issue	Valuation, $ mln
1	Alisher Usmanov	Maine	Airbus A340	2008	150
2	Roman Abramovich	Aruba	Boeing 767	2003	120
3	Roman Abramovich (Alexander Abramov – Approx. K.ru)	Germany	Airbus A319	2014	85
4	Andrey Skoch and family	Aruba	Airbus A319	2013	71
5	Andrey Kozitsyn	Austria	Airbus A320	2008	67
6	Viktor Rashnikov	Bermuda	Gulfstream G650ER	2017	62.5
7	Sergei Galitsky	Maine	Gulfstream G650	2017	60
8	Dmitry Rybolovlev	Maine	Airbus A319	2012	60
9	Igor Makarov	Aruba	Boeing 737 BBJ	2010	58.8
10	Andrey Melnichenko	Maine	Boeing 737 BBJ	2009	58
11	Alexander Abramov, Alexander Frolov	Germany	Airbus A319	2010	57
12	Vladimir Evtushenkov	Aruba	Boeing 737 BBJ	2007	57
13	Victor Vekselberg	Aruba	Airbus A319	2009	56
14	Mikhail Prokhorov	Maine	Airbus A319	2009	56
15	Samvel Karapetyan	Malta	Gulfstream G650	2015	53
16	Iskander Makhmudov	Austria	Gulfstream G650	2015	53
17	Vagit Alekperov	Caymans	Boeing 737 BBJ	2006	50
18	God Nisanov	Maine	Gulfstream G650	2014	48.6
19	Filaret Galchev	Malta	Bombardier Global 6000	2016	45
20	Vadim Moshkovich	Maine	Bombardier Global 6000	2016	45
21	Zarakh Iliev	Maine	Airbus A318 Elite	2011	42.5
22	Oleg Tinkov	Maine	Dassault Falcon 7X	2016	42.5
23	Roman Abramovich	Luxembourg	Gulfstream G650	2014	42
24	Leonid Mikhelson	USA	Gulfstream G650	2013	42
25	Vladimir Potanin	Austria	Gulfstream G650	2013	40
26	Vasily Anisimov	Luxembourg	Bombardier Global 6000	2014	36.6
27	Farhad Ahmedov	Maine	Bombardier Global 6000	2014	36.6
28	Victor Vekselberg	Maine	Bombardier Global 6000	2013	36.2
29	Andrey Guryev	Austria	Airbus A319	2007	36
30	Vladimir Potanin	Austria	Gulfstream G550	2013	33
31	Vladimir Bogdanov	Russia	Gulfstream G550	2012	31
32	Oleg Deripaska	Maine	Gulfstream G550 (ALAY)	2012	31
33	Oleg Deripaska	Maine	Gulfstream G550 (UGIC)	2012	31
34	Andrey Molchanov	Malta	Bombardier Global 5000	2015	thirty
35	Araz Agalarov	Caymans	Gulfstream G550	2010	27
36	Sergey Adoniev, Albert Avdolyan	USA	Bombardier Global 6000	2012	27
37	Alexey Mordashov	Maine	Bombardier Global 6000	2012	27
38	Alisher Usmanov	Luxembourg	Dassault Falcon 7X	2012	27
39	Alexey Repik	Maine	Bombardier Global 5000	2014	25.2
40	Anatoly Sedykh	Malta	Bombardier Global 5000	2014	25.2
41	Alexander Svetakov	Austria	Bombardier Global 5000	2013	24.5
42	Alexander Ponomarenko	Maine	Gulfstream G550	2011	24
43	Viktor Kharitonin	Maine	Gulfstream G550	2009	23.6
44	Musa Bazhaev	Caymans	Bombardier Global Express XRS	2010	23.2
45	Mikhail Gutseriev	Aruba	Bombardier Global Express XRS	2010	23.2
46	Alexander Abramov, Alexander Frolov	Germany	Bombardier Global Express XRS	2009	22.4
47	Alexander Japaridze	Luxembourg	Dassault Falcon 7X	2009	20.5
48	Vladimir Lisin	Austria	Bombardier Global 5000	2011	20
49	Igor Kesaev	Bermuda	Bombardier Global 6000	2009	20
50	Igor Altushkin	Maine	Embraer Legacy 650	2016	18

List of Oligarchs Luxury Jets

1. Airbus A340

Release year: 2008

Estimated owner: Alisher Usmanov

Registered country: Isle of Man

Estimated value: $150,000,000

Usmanov’s four-engine liner is the largest among all aircraft owned by participants in the Russian Forbes rating. Usmanov prefers to fly on the wide-body Airbus A340. In honour of the father of Alisher Usmanov, the liner is called Bourkhan, this name is written on the board. The registration number can be decoded as “I, Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov (I, Alischer Burchanovich Usmanov)”. The board is longer than the plane of Roman Abramovich. Usmanov could buy it for $300-350 million. The board is based in Moscow. The A340 has a very high fuel consumption, and because of this, demand for it has fallen sharply.

2. Boeing 767

Release year: 2003

Estimated owner: Roman Abramovich

Registration country: Aruba island

Estimated cost: $120,000,000

The plane was nicknamed “Bandit” for the characteristic black stripe near the cockpit, and its smaller model is sold in souvenir shops. The modification of the Abramovich aircraft means an increased flight range, which allows non-stop flights up to 11,000 km. Such a huge aircraft is bought by those who have to fly around the world with a large number of accompanying persons. More than 60 people can comfortably work on board this Boeing. The jet, on which Abramovich moves, can often be seen in photographs of spotters in different parts of the world – in Nice, Salzburg, St. Maarten, in Tel Aviv.

3. Airbus A319

Release year: 2014

Estimated owner: Alexander Abramov

Registration country: Germany

Estimated cost: $85,000,000

The French-designed Airbus A319 is a 4 m shortened version of the A320 airliner with a wingspan of 34.1 m, a maximum takeoff weight of 76,500 kg, and a cruising speed of 820 km/h. The Airbus Corporate Jet version is designed for business aviation. This liner can carry 19 VIP passengers. If necessary, the salons are easily dismantled, accommodating 100 people. The maximum flight range with a VIP cabin is 12,000 km. In real flight conditions, the A319 can cover up to 10,400 km. The aircraft is operated by Vertis Aviation.

4. Airbus A319

Release year: 2013

Estimated owner: Andrey Skoch and family

Registration country: Aruba island

Estimated cost: $71,000,000

The tail number of the MGU plane echoes the 99-meter yacht Madame Gu and Lady Gulya, which were attributed to Skoch. The Eurocopter Dauphin helicopter with a 3A-MGU gnome was based on the Madame Gu yacht. The aircraft comfortably carries 19 passengers and was handed over to the customer in early 2014. The plane can be seen in cities such as London, Zurich, or even Tashkent. The board often visits the Vnukovo business terminal, which the Skoch family is also considered to be a co-owner.

Dmitry Rybolovlev, Alexander Abramov, Alexander Frolov, Viktor Vekselberg, Mikhail Prokhorov, and Andrey Guriev may have the same aircraft.

5. Airbus A320

Release year: 2008

Estimated owner: Andrey Kozitsyn

Registration country: Austria

Estimated cost: $67,000,000

The plane and its unique livery with gold patterns and a bird on the tail went to the Russian billionaire from the previous owner, the Saudi Saad Group, the bankrupt billionaire Maan al-Sanea. The plane was relocated from Saudi Arabia to Yekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport. The plane can often be seen in European cities – Verona, Vienna, and Paris. Also, this Airbus often visits the cities where the Ekaterinburg hockey club Avtomobilist, sponsored by the UMMC (Andrey Kozitsyn is a co-owner of the company), holds its games. Sometimes the hockey team itself flies to them.

6. Gulfstream G650

Such an aircraft is allegedly owned by: Viktor Rashnikov, Sergey Galitsky, Samvel Karapetyan, Iskander Makhmudov, God Nisanov, Roman Abramovich, Leonid Mikhelson, Vladimir Potanin.

7. Boeing 737 BBJ

This aircraft is allegedly owned by: Igor Makarov, Andrey Melnichenko, Vladimir Yevtushenkov, and Vagit Alekperov.

8. Bombardier Global 6000

This aircraft is allegedly owned by: Filaret Galchev, Vadim Moshkovich, Vasily Anisimov, Farhad Akhmedov, Viktor Vekselberg, Sergey Adoniev, Albert Avdolyan, Alexei Mordashov, Igor Kesaev.

9. Airbus A318 Elite

This aircraft is allegedly owned by Zarakh Iliev.

10. Dassault Falcon 7X

This aircraft is allegedly owned by: Oleg Tinkov, Alisher Usmanov, and Alexander Dzhaparidze.

11. Gulfstream G550

This aircraft is allegedly owned by: Vladimir Potanin, Vladimir Bogdanov, Oleg Deripaska, Araz Agalarov, Alexander Ponomarenko, and Viktor Kharitonin.

12. Bombardier Global 5000

This aircraft is allegedly owned by: Andrei Molchanov, Alexei Repik, Anatoly Sedykh, Alexander Svetakov, and Vladimir Lisin.

13. Bombardier Global Express XRS

Such an aircraft is allegedly owned by: Musa Bazhaev, Mikhail Gutseriev, Alexander Abramov, and Alexander Frolov.