VIM Airlines current financial troubles

VIM Airlines current financial troubles have left 39,000 Russians stranded abroad, mostly in Turkey. To alleviate the immediate problem, several domestic airlines have offered to repatriate VIM's passengers, with the Russian government deciding to allocate US$3.4 million in the 2018 federal budget to compensate their costs.

Furthermore, due to an estimated $8.6 million in fuel debts, VIM will no longer operate out of Moscow Domodedovo, where the carrier’s 29 planes stopped refueling, and will now operate out of Moscow Vnukovo until all passengers are transported.

Russia's Minister of Transport, Maxim Sokolov, said that not only Russian but also Greek airlines displayed interest in repatriating passengers. Mr. Sokolov believes that it is already meaningless to render government support to the airline, because it "has practically ceased operations". However, the government says it is too early to speak about annulling the carrier's AOC.