Ukrainian/Russian Aviation

***No Fly Zone****

I'm clueless about all things aviation so I thought this would be the place to ask this question...

exactly how can a NFZ be administered?? and why are NATO key to it?

Worth bearing in mind the planes are not Russian (or in any way considered to be Russian), they are just painted in a Russian airline’s livery.

Contract ferry pilots are used by lessors to move aircraft - an Aeroflot pilot will not be coming to Ireland to drop back his rented car & hand in his keys to Avis!

If retrieved, it’s extremely unlikely the lessors have onward homes and the aircraft would go into maintenance and storage, with many facility options dotted around Europe / closer to Russia, Ireland would not necessarily be the first choice.

I believe that it’s a $12 billion question, with close to $5bn related to Irish companies.

Anybody notice these flights this morning?

You're assuming the Russian airlines plan to return the aircraft. That's far from certain at the moment.

Antonov An-225 Mriya (the destroyed plane) now "flying" around Kiev with the call sign FCKPUTIN on flightradar.

https://twitter.com/GDarkconrad/status/1502206007124049920/photo/1

NY Times article on this. It seems there is little prospect of recovering leased aircraft from Russia. Even the leased aircraft grounded outside of Russia may be worthless without the maintenance records, which would be with the airline companies in Russia.

Looks like it's all about the insurance now.

At the risk of stating the obvious, I think it is safe to assume it is because they are refuelling aircraft operating in that area (west of the Ukraine border).

I am pretty sure there are military aircraft over there, but we'd never know what, when, where and why. ;-)

On ADS-B Exchange the receivers around the UK generally do show, but not so much in actual operations, for obvious reasons.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058234570/antonov-225-reportedly-destroyed#latest

It seems our favourite Ukrainian pilot Dmytro Antonov and the Antonov company have had a major public falling out over the destruction of Myria.

Dmytro blamed Antonov management for the destruction of the AN225 in his latest video:-

And a few hours ago Antonov released this statement on their official FB page (for some reason this new version of Boards does not seem to allow links to FB posts):-

"Dear public!

In this difficult time, when our country is trying to divide the merciless tanker, when our colleagues, relatives, acquaintances lose their homes, friends, relatives, and employees of the DP "ANTONOV" defend the Motherland in the banks of the Armed Forces, when in our eyes a grresor destroys everything that has been put into our team's lifetime effort, we we have no moral right for any treacherous actions that could cause the situation surrounding our home enterprise to worsen.

As a result of hostile actions of Russia, the airport complex in Gostomel was destroyed, the An-26, An-74 aircraft and the flagship of the An-225 "Dream". Now each of us is asking ourselves: what can I do for my home business?

On the eve of the war, employees of ATP DP "ANTONOV" worked in aural mode and already on the evening of February 23 the sixth engine on An-225 was installed so that on the 24th morning "Dream" could fly to the m. Leipzig. The fifth plane An-124 took off from the Gostomel Airport on February 23 at 23.51.

But the morning of February 24 brought its terrible corrections. And although all the staff involved in the flight went to work in the morning, the air space was closed, Antonov Air Force employees were hit by airstrike, some were killed, some were injured, and all the possibilities of the flight were full I'm blocked by the truth.

And now it turns out that Dmitry Antonov - the one who has been sitting at home all this busy time, not a word or a matter of a finger by not hitting the firm's survival case, drives out on a white horse in people and with a face of anger tells that the enemies are around, "vs" ьo gone " and he alone knows everything for The Truth and the Wrong.

We go back to the first question: "What did YOU do to prevent this situation?" Although, as the first deputy of the airline in flight service, in fact the second person in management, could have made the most effort and, if considered the extreme level of danger, arrange an An-225 flight at least a day earlier. But let Dmitry Antonov answer this question to himself and people. Where was he and what did he do in these critical days of February up to a few weeks before and why refused to leave a job after the war started?

And now, with a look at what happened, pretend to be a shining knight over the entire team, praise the people who developed, built, tested, and then, after the collapse of the 90s, restored this magnificent plane and put it on the wing, show the floor Zri in "inadequate patriotism" from his home sofa, disgusting and doesn't fit the boss, which thanks to the daily labor of thousands of Antoniv residents, decided to show himself in the internet space as the only one who rejoices for our share, not personal Dream. And continues to boast at the expense of the whole team.

Dmytro Antonov provides false information about the fact that the management of DP "ANTONOV" is in Leipzig. Since February 24, the CEO of DP "ANTONOV" - Bychkov Sergey and his deputies have been in workplaces and work 24/7, not leaving the territory of the company.

We, the employees of the "ANTONOV" company appeal to the people of Ukraine, to all the airmen of the world, who care about the fate of our country, its technical potential and people's achievements, please, in the background of our present national-freedom war, be watchful. Unfortunately, not all people in this difficult situation can stand the pressure of war around and support themselves and others. But we know that it will pass, dust will blow the wind of history and we will together restore the strength of the ANTONOV firm against the plans of the alien"

FR24 will know - you could probably message them to ask.