Four years after Western sanctions on Russia disrupted aircraft leasing, the legal consequences are still unfolding. easyJet is being sued in London’s High Court for at least $72 million by STLC Europe Eight, an Irish entity linked to Russian state lessor GTLK. The dispute concerns six Airbus aircraft leased before easyJet terminated the contracts in spring 2022.
Six Airbus aircraft at the centre of a contract dispute
According to proceedings reported on September 8 by the Financial Times and Reuters, easyJet parked the six aircraft in Madrid and Larnaca, Cyprus. In April 2022, the airline notified the lessor that it was terminating the leases, arguing that EU sanctions adopted after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prevented it from maintaining or repairing the aircraft.
STLC Europe Eight disputes that interpretation, arguing that the sanctions did not permit easyJet to withdraw from the contracts, particularly because the aircraft were outside Russia and the owner was established in Ireland.
STLC is seeking at least $36.7 million in unpaid rent and interest, at least $32.5 million for alleged loss of value on certain aircraft and about €2.8 million in airport charges.
The total could rise further because losses relating to the three aircraft that remained in Madrid had not yet been fully quantified.
Three aircraft recovered, three still in Madrid
Three of the six Airbus jets, parked in Larnaca, were eventually repossessed and sold. The claimant alleges their condition resulted in sale proceeds at least $32.5 million below expected value.
The other three aircraft were still in Madrid and had not been sold, leaving their condition, accrued costs and residual value potentially important to the final damages calculation if easyJet is found liable.
easyJet disputes the claim
The airline had not publicly detailed its defence but said it intended to contest the claim in full. At this stage, STLC’s allegations remain claims before the British courts and no liability has been established.
The case is expected to turn partly on how the 2022 EU sanctions should be interpreted and what they meant for easyJet’s contractual obligations.
Leasing, sanctions and the wider 2022 fallout
The case is part of a much wider wave of litigation between airlines, lessors, insurers and reinsurers following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of foreign-owned aircraft were affected by lease terminations, groundings and recovery problems.
London’s High Court has become a major venue for these disputes. In another large case involving aircraft stranded in Russia, insurers were ordered to compensate lessor AerCap by more than $1 billion.
The easyJet case differs because the six aircraft were in Spain and Cyprus, but it raises the same underlying question: who should ultimately bear losses created by sanctions and contract disruption?
Sources
Financial Times: September 8, 2026; Reuters: September 8, 2026.
Related: easyJet, SAS, ITA and TAP: Europe’s airline consolidation, for the wider strategic context around easyJet.
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