Belavia adds third Gambian registered Boeing 737 to regular service | Ukraine news

A third Gambian-registered Boeing has entered Belavia’s schedule, but details about transfer routes and sanctions implications remain unclear.

Belavia continues to update its fleet with Western-made aircraft, despite international sanctions that have been in place against the country for several years.

The first aircraft from the Gambian batch was EW-548PA; subsequently EW-546PA joined it.

Belavia has now begun regular service with the third aircraft from this batch – EW-547PA. The aircraft arrived in Belarus in early June.

According to Skyliner Aviation, two Boeing 737-800s, previously registered to Ukrainian SkyUp and SkyUp Europe in the UAE, were transferred to Gambian registration, after which they were delivered to Minsk.

Two aircraft of this series are 12 years old each, the third is 13 years old. According to the aviation channel Ot Vinta, such an age is acceptable for operating such equipment.

Unlike the two earlier aircraft from this batch, EW-547PA immediately went into service in Belavia’s corporate livery.

Thus, all three Boeing 737-800s that arrived in Belarus at the beginning of summer have already been put into operation.

Belavia continues to expand and modernize its fleet. In November 2025, Belarusian Transport Minister Oleksiy Lyakhnovych announced plans to bring several new Boeing aircraft for the summer season.

This is not the first time Belarus has purchased aircraft through The Gambia, a country that acts as an intermediary in schemes to circumvent international restrictions.

Sanctions context and the role of The Gambia

Since December 2021, Belavia has been under EU sanctions, and since August 2023 – under U.S. sanctions.

To import Airbus aircraft into Belarus, sanction-evading schemes involving Gambian companies were used.

On November 4, 2025, the United States partially lifted sanctions on Belavia. Two aircraft that could be linked to Lukashenko were removed from restrictions, as well as a helicopter owned by Slawkali, which the president is believed to have also used.

Other countries have not lifted their restrictions on Belarusian aviation.

The Gambia does not fall under Western aviation sanctions and has not assumed commitments to enforce them, so the country is regarded as a convenient jurisdiction for circumventing restrictions. Previously, some ships under the Gambian flag were used to export Russian oil to circumvent sanctions.

According to Reuters, The Gambia Civil Aviation Department commented on the aircraft that ended up in Minsk: three Airbus A330-200s were deregistered in The Gambia on August 19, 2024, two days after arriving in Belarus, allegedly because Magic Air sold them to an unnamed company in the UAE.

The European Airbus group told Reuters that it adheres to international sanctions, but does not have the ability to monitor sales of used aircraft or influence third countries that violate sanctions.

In light of these facts, The Gambia’s role as an intermediary remains a focus for analysts, as well as a question for regulators regarding future deliveries and obligations in the area of international sanctions.