Russia is exploring a proposal to lease commercial aircraft from Vietnamese airlines, including crews and maintenance, as Western sanctions have made it difficult to maintain Russia’s aging fleet of aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Transport has suggested that Vietnamese carrier Vietnam Airlines make its aircraft available to Russian airlines under an **ACMI contract**, which includes the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance. This is not a purchase, but a lease arrangement. Russian Transport Minister Andreï Nikitine mentioned that the proposal has been sent to Vietnamese officials for review, though no specific number of aircraft or timeline has been announced. The initiative comes at a time of significant challenges for Russian aviation. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western sanctions have restricted access to Western-made aircraft, spare parts, and technical support. According to industry data, 130 of the 673 aircraft operated by the country’s eleven largest airlines are currently out of service—nearly one in five—compared to a typical downtime rate of about 10%. Outside of the national carrier Aeroflot, 93 of 322 aircraft are grounded, or nearly three out of ten. However, the potential use of Western aircraft by Russian carriers raises concerns. Vietnam Airlines operates a fleet composed of **Airbus** and **Boeing** planes, which are subject to U.S. sanctions. If these aircraft were leased to Russian carriers, Vietnam Airlines could face secondary sanctions from the United States. A similar risk previously blocked a Russian effort to obtain aircraft from **Ethiopian Airlines**. At the same time, Russia and Vietnam are expanding their air service agreements. According to **Aviation Week**, the revised agreement allows for 105 weekly flights between the two countries, with designated airlines from each side. Currently, four Russian airlines operate 39 flights per week on eleven routes, while two Vietnamese carriers offer 31 weekly flights on three routes. New routes are being considered in Russian cities such as Kazan, Barnaul, Novokuznetsk, and Blagoveshchensk. The expansion is already visible in the number of available seats. Russian and Vietnamese airlines are planning to offer about 695,300 seats between the two countries during the summer of 2026, a 50.1% increase compared to the previous year. The number of airports served has grown from 20 to 30. This expansion is part of the resumption of regular services, with Aeroflot restoring the Moscow-Cheremetievo–Hanoi route in early 2024 and Vietnam Airlines resuming the Hanoi–Moscow-Cheremetievo route in May 2025. The market remains focused on Russian leisure travel to Vietnam, with Cam Ranh Airport, serving the beach resort of Nha Trang, accounting for about 577,600 seats for the summer of 2026—83.1% of the total capacity. The Moscow-Cheremetievo–Cam Ranh route alone offers nearly 226,700 seats, or 32.6% of the bilateral offer. Other key routes connect cities like Ekaterinburg, Moscow-Domodedovo, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, and Irkutsk to Cam Ranh. Over 1.07 million passengers have traveled between Russia and Vietnam in the first seven months of 2026, according to the Russian Ministry of Transport. The ministry predicts that the total number for the year will exceed two million. This figure includes all air traffic between the two countries, not just Russian tourists. The expansion of air traffic rights opens up new growth opportunities, and the proposal to use Vietnamese aircraft with crews could help Russian carriers meet the rising demand. However, the success of the proposal will depend on Vietnam’s response and the ongoing challenges posed by sanctions.