Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
A private jet suspected of being linked to a Russian oligarch was impounded at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire hours before it was due to fly to Dubai.
The aircraft was detained on the orders of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Tuesday to enable an investigation into its connection with billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, a friend of Roman Abramovich.
A Government source said Mr Shvidler was “free to continue his journey by other means” after the plane was impounded.
The Bombardier Global 6500 jet arrived in Farnborough from the US state of New Jersey on Friday and had been due to fly to Dubai on Tuesday afternoon.
BREAKING: I have made it a criminal offence for ANY Russian aircraft to enter UK airspace and now HMG can detain these jets. We will suffocate Putin's cronies’ ability to continue living as normal while thousands of innocent people die. pic.twitter.com/cYjreNSYRz
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 8, 2022
Mr Shapps revoked its foreign carrier permit, meaning it could not legally carry passengers.
He then issued a restriction of flying order which grounded the plane.
The jet is registered in Luxembourg to a firm named Global Jet Luxembourg, but ownership of private planes is often complicated by the involvement of third parties.
It will only be allowed to leave Farnborough if no link with Russia is established, the source added.
That is unlikely to happen on Wednesday.
The inquiry into its ownership and operation was launched on the advice of Attorney General Suella Braverman, and is being assisted by the National Crime Agency.
Mr Shapps told airports on Tuesday he can order them to detain Russian aircraft and has the power to order the Civil Aviation Authority to terminate registration of planes owned by sanctioned individuals.
A private jet belonging to Chelsea FC owner Mr Abramovich is believed to have left Stansted Airport in Essex for Basel in Switzerland last week before all planes connected with Russia were banned from UK air space.
The Boeing 767 jet has been nicknamed The Bandit due to its black stripes near the cockpit window.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
