Swedish technology company Avinode, which operates one of the world’s largest digital platforms for booking private flights, has become the center of a scandal over possible assistance to the Russian elite in bypassing European Union sanctions, according to SVT.
Russian oligarchs and individuals under personal sanctions continue to use the platform’s services to arrange international flights, despite the complete ban introduced in 2022 on private flights from Russia to EU countries.
The investigation found that Avinode staff advised Russian clients to re-register their businesses in third countries in order to conceal their ties to Russia. As a result, Russian aviation brokers opened offices in Turkey, Cyprus, and the United Arab Emirates, which allowed them to maintain access to the European market.
Journalists from SVT, posing as potential clients, received offers from Russian brokers who directly confirmed the use of the Avinode platform to arrange flights for sanctioned Russian individuals. Sanctions lawyer Alexander Prezanthi emphasized that if the company knew it was providing services to Russian clients or to persons acting on their behalf, this could be considered a direct violation of EU sanctions.
Avinode’s management, including CEO Oliver King and founder Per Martensson, declined interview requests, providing only written comments. The company stated that after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it strengthened client screening and terminated cooperation with several firms mentioned in the investigation. While acknowledging shortcomings in its procedures, representatives attributed them to the actions of individual employees. They also claimed that they lack sufficient documentation to sever ties with some re-registered entities, as they allegedly do not have data linking these structures to sanctioned individuals. Avinode also insists that the platform merely facilitates interaction between operators and brokers, does not have access to passenger personal data, and bears no responsibility for verifying them, since final agreements for each flight are concluded outside its system.
Founded in 2001 in Gothenburg, Avinode, which has been owned by the American company CAMP Systems International since 2024, controls about 80% of the global business jet booking market. Around 8 million searches and 13 million private travel requests pass through its system annually. Despite still being registered in Sweden, questions about its compliance with sanctions remain highly relevant in light of the findings.
