Sanctions-hit airline Biełaviaja in talks to buy Airbus planes from Gambia

March 26, Pozirk. The state-owned airline Biełavija (Belavia), a target of Western sanctions, “is on the cusp of adding three Airbus planes to its depleted fleet after repurposing aircraft that had previously belonged to Gambian airline Magic Air,” Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the situation.

It said all three aircraft, with a capacity of about 250 passengers each, were registered to Magic Air when they landed in Minsk on August 17, 2024.

One source said that Biełavija is “in the process of signing a contract to buy the planes, which arrived in very poor technical conditions, and plans to start flying them this spring-summer season.”

According to the Gambian justice ministry’s companies register, Magic Air is “a little-known private company that operates in aircraft leasing and airline services,” the article reads.

In August 2024, the industry periodical Aviation Week reported that Magic Air sent airplanes from Cairo, Istanbul and Muscat to Belarus.

Fansu Bojang, director general of Gambia’s Civil Aviation Authority, said the agency received notification from Magic Air that “the aircraft were sold to a UAE company and that they would like to ferry the aircraft to Minsk Airport and de-register them accordingly.”

According to two sources, making the airliners operable in Belarus has been slow because “they arrived in poor condition.” One described the interior of the airplanes as “shabby.”

In May 2021, the Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair plane to land in Minsk, detaining journalist Raman Pratasievič and his girlfriend, which sparked international backlash and led to an EU entry ban for Biełavija.

The UK, Canada, the US and the EU imposed sanctions on Belarusian individuals and entities, including Biełavija, citing human rights abuses and disregard for international law. These measures have severely impacted the airline, disrupting its operations and fleet replacement as sanctions tightened.

Also read: Official: Belarus ready to resume air traffic with European countries