Airline will try out Airbus A320s through Armavia subsidiary, so avoiding penalties
Armenian regional airline Armavia has taken delivery of the first of two Airbus A320s as part of a plan by its part owner Sibir Airlines to avoid Russian taxes on foreign aircraft and test the type for possible integration with its own fleet of Russian-built aircraft.
Novosibirsk-based Sibir, which recently acquired a majority share in the carrier, has leased the two aircraft from International Lease Finance, but cannot operate them in Russia due to a 20% import tax and 20% value added tax if they are registered in the country.
Sibir has been trying to acquire A320-family aircraft for almost a year. It will use the Armavia operation to test the A320s in the hope that the operation will persuade Russian authorities to remove or ease tax levels. If it is successful, the airline will integrate the type into its fleet based in Novosibirsk and Moscow Domodedovo.
The A320s will be crewed by Sibir to operate scheduled services from Armavia's base in the Armenian capital Yerevan to Moscow and Paris. The Armenian carrier operates one Tupolev Tu-134 and one Tu-154.
After absorbing the route network from the bankrupt Vnukovo Airlines, Sibir has opened 12 new domestic routes and three to Germany. The airline is pursuing its aggressive expansion despite financial losses caused by the take-over.
Privately owned Armenian International Airlines intends to lease three Airbus aircraft by next year for flights to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris, local press reports say.
Source: Flight International
