The London High Court denied insurers permission to appeal a ruling requiring over €847m in payments to aircraft lessors for aircraft stranded in Russia since February 2022 due to sanctions.
Affected lessors include AerCap, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Merx Aviation Finance, Falcon 2019-1, and Genesis Aircraft Services, with claims involving 147 aircraft and 16 engines.
The court’s decision, delivered verbally on 16 September 2025 by Judge Christopher Butcher, awaits a written judgment, with no date set for its release.
AerCap, the largest claimant, incurred legal expenses of approximately €93.9m, while KDAC and Merx settled with their insurers during the trial.
The case, one of London’s largest commercial disputes, serves as a precedent for similar lawsuits globally, with equipment once valued at up to €4bn.
A London Courts and Tribunals Judiciary spokeswoman shared: “Judge Christopher Butcher of the Commercial Court on September 16 verbally denied the insurers permission to appeal on all grounds, but reserved all further judgment on legal costs.”
