Landed After Airspace Closed To Russian Aircraft

In an apparent case of poor timing, or poor planning, an Aeroflot Airbus A320 was finally able to depart the Munich International Airport (ICAO: EDDM) in June 2024, 834 days after it landed shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. But only after a parking fee of €460,000 (about $493,000) had been paid.

Shortly after the invasion on February 24, 2022, German and all European airspace was closed to Russian aircraft but the Aeroflot flight arrived in Munich on February 27 from St Petersburg. Parking fees for the Airbus ranged between 340 and 560 Euros per day.

For what may be the most expensive parking fee in history, the aircraft was actually owned by a Chinese company, “CMB Financial Leasing” and was leased to the airline. Since the aircraft was only 8 years old the company wanted to reclaim it and lease it to another airline. Unfortunately, being the owner, CMB had to fork over the nearly half-million-dollar parking fee before German authorities would permit the aircraft to leave.

In addition, extensive maintenance had to be performed as it had sat on the ramp the entire time, and the German Luftfahrt Bundesamt or Civil  Aviation Office, similar to the U.S. FAA, had to confirm it was even airworthy.

Not to worry for CMB however: the current lease rate for the A320 is between $200,000-300,000 per month so the company should be able to recoup the parking fee in a few months.

FMI:  www.lba.de/