Belarusian airline Belavia sidesteps sanctions to acquire Airbus A330s
Belarusian carrier Belavia has quietly acquired three Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a covert deal that appears to bypass Western sanctions, as the embattled airline races to rebuild its fleet and expand long-haul services.
The widebodies, apparently sourced from Gambia’s Magic Air and formerly operated by Turkey’s defunct Onur Air, signal a shift in strategy for Belavia, which has not flown Airbus or widebody jets before. The bulk of its fleet is made up of Boeing 737s (pictured).
The move comes amid mounting operational pressure and limited international access following sweeping EU airspace bans and export controls.
Belavia’s Airbus A330 acquisition was first hinted at by Reuters, and later confirmed by ch-aviation.
Belavia’s ageing ‘new’ Airbus A330s
The aircraft, each more than 20 years old, were recently deregistered from Gambia. They were subsequently registered in Belarus under the tail numbers EW-587PD, EW-588PD and EW-589PD.
One of the aircraft, EW-589PD, was recently spotted at Minsk National Airport already painted in Belavia’s livery.
Following the EU’s ban on Belarusian carriers entering European airspace, in response to Minsk’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, Belavia was forced to halve its fleet from 30 to just 15 aircraft.
Cut off from leasing markets and spare parts suppliers, the airline has struggled to maintain service across its remaining network.
Originally, Belavia had hoped to induct at least one of the newly acquired A330s into service by spring 2025. However, reports from a Belarusian outlet suggest that the aircraft are in poor condition. Maintenance needs have proven more complex than expected, and the sanctions are making access to spare parts both expensive and logistically challenging.
There are also operational hurdles. The airline has never flown Airbus aircraft, nor has it operated long-haul widebodies before. Crew retraining is now underway, with assistance from Russian carrier Aeroflot, which operates the type.
Despite the challenges, the introduction of the A330-200s would significantly extend Belavia’s range, opening the door to destinations in China, Southeast Asia and deeper into Russia. However, the airline will be limited to routes in countries considered “friendly” or neutral, given ongoing international restrictions.
2021 Ryanair ‘hijacking’
Belarus’s aviation industry was last under the spotlight in 2021 when the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) looked into the ‘hijacking’ of Ryanair flight FR4978 by the government of Belarus.
A spokesman said ICAO’s 36-member council, which is based in Montreal, held “exceptional session” to “share and review the latest information available, and discuss” the forced diversion and grounding of the aircraft in the Belarusian capital Minsk.
Belarus was accused of forcing the pilot of the Ryanair flight to land in Minsk using fake claims of a bomb onboard.
The flight was en-route from Athens to Vilnius in Lithuania when it was forced to land, with a MiG-29 fighter jet sent by the Belarusian regime to escort the aircraft to the ground.
Journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were arrested after the plane landed.
