Aviation Services (HK) Ltd has filed an appeal against a Moscow court's refusal to seize property from bankrupt VIM Airlines (Moscow Domodedovo), Russian legal news agency RAPSI has reported.

The Hong Kong-based charter brokerage had filed a lawsuit in the Moscow Commercial Court in a bid to retrieve RUB293 million (USD5 million) from the airline in October. Aviation Services sought to seize VIM Airlines' property and bank accounts, as well as to block any sale of the airline's property. The court rejected the motion stating that Aviation Services had provided insufficient evidence to warrant such a move.

Aviation Services' suit added to a growing list of claims against VIM Airlines. The company now faces legal action for a total sum exceeding RUB1 billion. According to the Russian news agency, a Moscow Domodedovo subsidiary has filed a RUB550.8 million claim with the Arbitration Court of the Moscow region in relation to the fees not paid by the bankrupt airline, while the State Air Traffic Management Corporation filed a lawsuit against VIM on the collection of arrears for the payment of air navigation services in the amount of RUB207.2 million. The airline also faces a RUB30 million lawsuit from Russian tour operator Yemchizhnaya Ryeka.

On top of the lawsuits, at least four of the six B757-200s owned at the moment of bankruptcy by VIM Airlines have been seized, including one at Antalya.

VIM Airlines has ended its charter operations in September 2017 and ceased all scheduled services on October 15 due to financial difficulties. The company's air operator's certificate (AOC) was suspended by Rosaviatsia on October 27. Russian authorities state that VIM Airlines' total debt amounts to RUB10 billion (USD171 million), the bulk of which is owed to fueling companies.

The current owners of VIM Airlines, Rashid and Svetlana Mursekayev, are wanted on charges of embezzlement and premeditated bankruptcy, and have allegedly left Russia. The High Court of Ireland seized the shares of three Irish companies associated with Mursekayev. Investigators in a separate case claim that VIM Airlines' employees had been selling tickets to passengers despite being aware that the company is nearly bankrupt and will not be able to transport them, RAPSI reported.

According to the company's website, Aviation Services (HK) was founded in 2009 and provided passenger and cargo charter services, using mostly VIM Airlines planes.