Timchenko's Jet Remains Grounded by U.S. Sanctions

There are now four Gulfstream G650 jets owned by Russian billionaires, but one of these is currently grounded as a result of U.S. economic sanctions against Russia. The aircraft in question is owned by oil and gas entrepreneur Gennady Timchenko, who was blacklisted earlier this year by U.S. government sanctions due to his close associations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In August Timchenko told Russian state news agency Itar-Tass that he has had to stop flying his G650 because Gulfstream is prohibited from providing technical support. At the time, Gulfstream said that it could not comment on the situation of specific customers, and simply said that it “continues to support its operators worldwide, including those in Russia, and is fully compliant with all government regulations.” As a U.S. company, Gulfstream and its General Dynamics parent are required to comply with State Department sanctions, which in this case would prevent it from providing customer support to a customer included in a list of individuals and companies subject to sanctions. According to sources close to Timchenko speaking to AIN on condition of anonymity at the JetExpo show in Moscow on September 4, the G650 is still parked and unable to fly.