MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The A321 passenger jet that crashed over the Sinai on October 31 en route from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, killing all 224 people on board, was reportedly leased to Russia’s Kogalymavia (Metrojet) airline by Dublin-based AerCap. Russia’s Federal Security Service said a terrorist attack had caused the tragedy.
"Ribbeck Law Chartered has filed a petition for disclosure in the Chicago court (Illinois, USA) against the leading international leasing company AerCap Holdings N.V. … AerCap presumably was the owner and lessor of the crashed Kogalymavia aircraft at the time of the tragedy," Ribbeck said in a Russian-language statement delivered to RIA Novosti.
He added that "we will request additional evidence, including of CCTV recordings, as soon as we determine who was responsible for the safety of the aircraft."
The petition seeks to identify the parties responsible for the A321’s maintenance, repairs and other works during its service with Kogalymavia.
Russia suspended flights to and from Egypt in the wake of the crash. Safety experts that wrapped up their inspections at Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada international airports last week have returned to Moscow and are drafting an airport security report to be submitted to both Russian and Egyptian authorities.
