The Russian Transportation Ministry and S7 Airlines have rejected proposals from Egypt and the Philippines to operate Airbus passenger aircraft that are currently grounded due to Western sanctions, as reported by the business newspaper Kommersant on Wednesday.

AlMasria Universal Airlines from Egypt and South East Asian Airlines from the Philippines had approached the Russian government with a request to utilize up to seven of the stranded Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets, according to a report from Kommersant last month.

This proposal was submitted via MelonAero, a company located in Montenegro. At that time, the CEO of MelonAero mentioned to the newspaper that discussions were underway with other carriers from “friendly” nations and that theoretically, all of S7’s grounded aircraft could be managed by foreign operators.

However, a representative from S7 indicated to Kommersant this week that the airline was not involved in discussions regarding the use of its Airbus jets and had “no plans to negotiate” their transfer to foreign airlines.

A confidential source from a Russian airline industry group informed the newspaper that the Transportation Ministry viewed the proposal as “neither constructive nor practical.” The ministry has not publicly commented on this matter, nor have the airlines from Egypt or the Philippines.

S7 Airlines had grounded numerous Airbus A320neo and A321neo planes following a recall issued by the engine manufacturer due to potential micro-crack defects. Sanctions have hindered the aircraft from undergoing necessary maintenance or repairs, and these planes are anticipated to be retired beginning in 2026.

In the report published on Wednesday, MelonAero’s CEO criticized Russia’s decision as “irrational,” cautioning that prolonged storage could result in the planes becoming merely sources for spare parts.