UK business aircraft sales and charter operator Twinjet has signed a deal with Russian state export body Aviaexport that will see its used Bombardier Challenger and Gulfstream types sold in the country.
Aviaexport has a five-year marketing arrangement with Twinjet to resell the company's US inventory of second-hand aircraft in the CIS. Twinjet managing director John Keeble says: "The Moscow area in particular has a strong market for corporate jets, but the huge aspiration is hit by a considerable tax burden." Foreign aircraft attract a 20% import tax, and then have VAT levied on top, taking the total import tax to around 46% of the aircraft's value. As a result, there are only around 30 dedicated corporate jets on the Russian aircraft register.
Twinjet believes used aircraft, with a lower taxable value, will prove to be successful and is aiming to sell one aircraft a year through the partnership. Keeble says there is limited demand for light jets in Russia, as most flights are to western Europe. Under the deal, Twinjet will lend marketing and sales support in the Middle East and Asia to Aviaexport for Russian aircraft types.
Source: Flight International
