A340s take off before Christmas Eve – and never arrive at their original destination
Iran procures four planes with Trick
The Iranian regime urgently needs new jets. Western sanctions prevent deliveries from major aircraft manufacturers. But now, thanks to a trick, Iran has secured four Airbus A340s – with false aircraft numbers and bogus companies.
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Four A340s, formerly owned by Turkish Airlines, were to fly from Johannesburg to Uzbekistan.
What was going on in the sky the day before Christmas Eve? The mystery surrounding the four Airbus A340 aircraft that never showed up at their destination begins in spring 2019. At that time, Turkish Airlines finally shut down its last four-engine jets. Four A340s were flown from Istanbul Ataturk Airport to the South African metropolis of Johannesburg, where the planes were stored.
Avro Global from Hong Kong became the new owner, as “AeroTelegraph” writes. The Jets got new license plates for the Channel Island of Guernsey. Nothing happened for three and a half years. Until the day before Christmas Eve. On December 23, 2022, the A340 quartet suddenly started moving again.
Wrong flight number trick
The planes took off staggered and one after the other in Johannesburg. The destination – according to the flight plan: Uzbekistan. But the jets never got there, as the magazine “Scramble” reports. Instead, the A340s all landed in a row in the Iranian capital, Tehran. And that again with new license plates. The planes are now registered to the African country of Burkina Faso.
A trick that the Iranian regime has used in the past to circumvent Western sanctions. Because the country urgently needs new aircraft. With shell companies and third countries, the regime can get jets despite sanctions.
According to the Swiss industry magazine “AeroTelegraph”, the incorrect flight numbers given by the crews for their flight to Uzbekistan provide the proof. MAN3808, MAN3809, MAN3810 and MAN3811 – codes that don’t even exist. But a reference to the future owner of the A340 aircraft. Mahan Air – Iran’s largest private airline, already operating ten Airbus A340s. (no)