Iran has complex ways of acquiring aircraft, despite being sanctioned from purchasing Western equipment for decades.
In December 2022, we reported that four Airbus A340-300 previously flown for Turkish Airlines were incorporated, with invaluable assistance from Burkina Faso:
A Christmas Miracle: Four Airbus A340s end up in Iran after triangulation with Burkina Faso
A few days later, in January, a satellite confirmed that they were at the Mehrabad International Airport, serving Iran’s capital, Tehran.
However, the questionable operations of the Middle Eastern country did not end there: According to the journalist Babak Taghvaee, two Airbus A340-212s flew from Kertajati airport in Indonesia to Iran. The authorities authorized the takeoff of the two planes on May 23 with the registrations TZ-DTA and TZ-DTC, granted by Mali.
The Two Airbus A340, Ex French Air Force
The two involved aircraft allegedly belonged to the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force), which received them from Austrian Airlines in May and December 2006.
The two A340s operated in Austrian with the registrations OE-LAG and OE-LAH, were transferred with the registrations F-RAJA and F-RAJB, and flew until December 2020 for the Air Force, when they were sold to LMO Aero, a French support and maintenance company.
Another Triangle, Another Mahan Air Involvement
LMO Aero had them in its inventory with the registrations F-HFDD and F-HLMG until some point in 2022, when they were purchased by a Malian company that Taghvaee assures is a front for Mahan Air.
Although the capital was actually Iranian, the Mali company registered the planes under its Operator Certificate, they received the aforementioned registrations (TZ-DTA and TZ-DTC) and remained stored in Indonesia.
From there they declared their intention to fly to Mali and – in a move that surprises no one- flew to Chabahar airport, in the southernmost part of Iran. Taghvaee claims that Mahdi Maghfouri, a senior executive of Mahan Air, flew to Chabahar to personally take charge of the transfer of one of the two planes to Tehran International Airport. The other, according to the same report, is at the 10th Tactical Air Base of the IRIAF, Iranian Air Force.
#BREAKING: Result of my investigation about procurement of two ex-French Air Force Airbus A340-212s by #IRGC affiliated #MahanAir for #Iran government. Indonesia & Mali authorities were involved in helping Iran to circumvent #US sanctions & have them flown to Iran on 23/05/2023. pic.twitter.com/ilkrVvwNI3
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) May 30, 2023
Mahan Air is no stranger to the shady part of the global aviation market: last year, a Boeing 747-300M that belonged to the Iranian operator had been acquired by Emtrasur, the cargo division of the Venezuelan Conviasa.
The plane ended up being retained at Ezeiza airport (in Buenos Aires, Argentina), after completing a cargo flight with Iranian crew members, who declared they were instructing Venezuelan crews.
The seizure process initiated by U.S. justice determined that Mahan Air had obtained the plane through a similar triangulation via Lance Tech General Trading LLC, a United Arab Emirates company. The 747-300 remains in Buenos Aires, awaiting judicial resolution.
Old timer: A Venezuelan Boeing 747-300 (former Mahan Air) landed in Córdoba
