Two Airbus A340 aircraft, owned by the Gambian leasing company Macka Invest, have reportedly been smuggled out of Lithuania and into Iran.
According to reports from Lithuanian media, the aircraft had been stationed at Šiauliai Airport (SQQ) in Lithuania. In February 2024, the planes managed to depart by declaring false destinations—Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Once they reached Iranian airspace, the aircraft switched off their transponders and landed at separate airports in Iran: Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport (THR) and Chabahar Konarak Airport (ZBR).
These two A340s are now believed to be operating with the Iranian airline Mahan Air, which is currently under US sanctions.
A third A340, also owned by Macka Invest, was prevented from leaving Lithuania due to concerns it might follow the same route. This aircraft remains at Šiauliai Airport.
This incident is not isolated. In 2022, four A340s registered in Burkina Faso were smuggled into Iran under similar circumstances. Those aircraft filed false flight plans, purportedly traveling from South Africa to Uzbekistan. After briefly disappearing upon entering Iranian airspace, they were later identified at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport.
Source: Aerotime
