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One of Air Albania's planes was recently seen flying to Moscow...
Scandals in Albania are never-ending, both domestically and internationally. This time, it's about the planes of Sinan Idrizi's (now bankrupt) Air Albania company, which ended up being used by Russia to circumvent sanctions imposed by EU countries and the US.
One of the Air Albania planes, which appears to have become part of the Russian sanctions-evasion scheme, was recently seen flying to Moscow.
The scheme was discovered by Swiss media outlet "Blick", which revealed in detail how it is operated in these cases. The strangest and most scandalous part, and for which the Albanian government must provide clarification since the Albanian state was also part of this company, is the fact that the plane used in Moscow still bears the "Air Albania" logo.
When the planes leased by Sinan Idrizi's company were returned to the 'parent' company, after the bankruptcy, the logos and name used on these planes should have been deleted. If this happened intentionally, reasonable suspicions arise about the involvement of the Albanian side, led by Sinan Idrizi, in the Russian sanctions circumvention scheme. The Albanian government must provide an answer to all of this.
Full text of the Swiss media :
Russia is circumventing Western sanctions in many areas. Now, an Airbus A320, once in service with Air Albania, has appeared in Moscow. The planes are being imported continuously through indirect routes and changes of ownership.
Russia’s civil aviation sector has been under pressure for years. Since Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, spare parts, access to maintenance and new planes from Airbus, Boeing and other manufacturers have been in short supply. But instead of grounding itself, Moscow is constantly finding new ways to keep flying and buying planes. The latest example: In mid-May, an Airbus A320 that had previously been in service with an airline based in Albania unexpectedly showed up in Moscow, as reported by aviation platform Aero Telegraph.
But how does this scheme work?
Oman is a particularly popular transit country. Planes disappear from Western sight there before reappearing in Russia or Belarus, which are also subject to sanctions. This is because Oman does not adhere to sanctions against Russia. These cases from recent years illustrate how the scheme continues.
-The first case dates back to the summer of 2024, Aircraft: 'Airbus ACJ320'
In the summer of 2024, an Airbus ACJ320 was transported by ferry to Moscow via Muscat. This caused an international uproar. The plane was built in Hamburg in late 2019 and then converted into a luxury jet. The plane then changed owners and destinations several times, going to Malta, San Marino, Azerbaijan and, for a short time, Tajikistan.
In June 2024, the plane was finally re-registered in Russia. Shortly before that, it flew from Oman to Moscow. Today, it is located in Moscow and is said to belong to a wealthy Russian businessman. The multiple country changes seem suspicious and suggest that the plane's journey was deliberately complicated before it finally arrived in Russia.
-The second case dates back to the spring of 2026/ The aircraft: "A320" once flew for an airline "Air Albania".
The latest example of Russia's shadow fleet in the air is an Airbus A320 that appeared in Moscow, despite being stored in Istanbul until April. Previously, the plane flew for Etihad Airways and later for Air Albania. After a stopover in Oman, it finally landed in Russia, as Aero Telegraph reports.
The aircraft was built in Toulouse, France, in 2011 and has flown for Etihad Airways since its initial service. In 2022, ownership changed hands. The new owner was leasing company GA Telesis, which leased the aircraft to Air Albania from March 2023 to October 2025. After returning from Tirana, the aircraft was stored in Istanbul, Turkey, until mid-April. It has now been spotted in Moscow with Russian registration. The aircraft is currently operated by a Russian airline specializing in business jets, charter flights and aircraft sales.
Another A320 just landed in Russia!
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) May 16, 2026
Yesterday, 15 May, Airbus A320-232 MSN 4934 (ex Etihad A6-EIO / Air Albania ZA-MMK / VQ-CEK) arrived at Vnukovo as RA-73899 after the classic Muscat stopover. Reportedly heading to North-West Air Company... same airline that imported an... pic.twitter.com/pYidUzvnmm
-The third case results in February 2026/ Bombardier Global 6000
In February, the Tribune de Genève reported that a plane previously based in Switzerland was now flying under Russian registration. The Bombardier Global 6000 private jet had been based in Geneva for many years and belonged to the airline Swiss Private Jet. After 2023, ownership and operation were managed by a company from the canton of Nidwalden, before the plane was finally removed from the Swiss aircraft register at the end of December 2025. Oman was listed as an export destination.
The operator stressed that the sale of the aircraft was carried out properly and under the supervision of the Swiss authorities. The purchase agreement clearly obliged the buyer to comply with international sanctions. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation confirmed the export to Oman and the removal of the aircraft from the register. No further checks were subsequently carried out.
Such cases show how flexible Russia and its partners have become in the movement of aircraft.
But why is Oman such a big focus?
Since there are no sanctions, the country is suitable as a transit and cover station. This makes it more difficult to monitor any changes in ownership.
Edhe sa fakte tjera duhen qe te binden shqiptaret se Salehu dhe Ramuti ja e grekoshkije..
I kemi trasheguar nga Stalini e Enveri keto huqe. Mbani mend qe anijet kineze lundronin me flamur Shqiptar ne kohen e pordhes? Mbani mend si tregetoheshin cigaret Malboro te prodhuara nga Fabrika Cigareve Durres? E hu a tere jeten me pirateri jemi marre. Edhe mbreteresha Teuta me pirateri e mbante mbreterine. E nuk kemi edhe shume faj se na e dikton reliefi i trojeve. Dil ne det rrembe c'te mundesh e ngjitu malit. Se mos ishte brenda ne avion edhe Edua qe te takoje Putinin e te zbuse acarimet me Europen. Vertet jemi pirate por kemi nxjerre koka te medha ne Albot. Na gajaset se qeshuri.
Ore lereni Sinanin se nese e ka bere sa thoni, e kane ne dore te tjere me siper se ai! Shikoni njehere nga aeroporti i Vlores se eshte zhytur edhe ai nje pellembe
Jam kunder shitje linja avjone te mbehete shreteror dhe jam kunder banka te huaj ne shqiperi te hiqe lincesa