Aviation

US DOJ asks Argentina to seize Boeing 747 freighter linked to Iran

Emtrasur cargo plane, which Iran’s Mahan Air claimed it sold to Venezuela a year ago, touched down in Buenos Aires on June 8.

A local opposition politician and Iranian state media said on Sunday that Argentine authorities had grounded a Venezuelan Boeing 747 freight plane with ties to Iran. This evolving scenario is shining a spotlight on political undercurrents in Latin America. The Emtrasur cargo plane, which Iran’s Mahan Air claimed it sold to Venezuela a year ago, touched down in Buenos Aires on June 8 according to flight monitoring information. The legislator and Iranian media said that officials afterwards confiscated it.

Iran and Venezuela are both subject to U.S. sanctions and have a close relationship. A 20-year plan of cooperation was inked by the two nations on Saturday. Alberto Fernandez, the center-left president of Argentina, has denounced the United States’ sanctions against Venezuela.

14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians were on board, according to a document from the Interior Ministry that Milman released. The names of everyone on board were listed. According to source Argentine media, a lawyer filed a habeas corpus in Argentina asking for the crew to release the plane and restore passengers’ passports. Argentinian authorities also searched the 747 and found “a Mahan Air flight log documenting the aircraft’s flights after the unlawful transfer to Emtrasur.

Acting Assistant Director of Counterterrorism Kevin Vorndran of the FBI said, “This seizure underscores the FBI’s tenacity in using all of our powers to hold the Iranian Government and related people and businesses accountable when they violate US laws. The FBI, along with our international allies, will continue to look for those people who advance Iran’s malicious operations and make sure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.

Aviation

Aeroflot Buys Used Planes for Spare Parts Amid Sanctions

In the face of ongoing Western sanctions that have severely impacted Russia’s aviation industry, Aeroflot, the country’s largest airline, has devised a strategic plan to bolster its fleet’s spare parts inventory.

The airline is set to acquire five Boeing 737-800BCF freighters from Atran Airlines, a move that will allow it to dismantle the aircraft for critical components. The planes, which will be transferred to Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, will not be converted into passenger jets but instead will be stripped for valuable parts to support existing operations.

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Aeroflot’s plan to purchase these Boeing 737-800BCF freighters comes as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, which have crippled the Russian aviation sector. With the sanctions restricting access to essential aircraft parts and spare components, Aeroflot is exploring alternative ways to maintain and repair its fleet.

Instead of converting the freighters from cargo to passenger planes, a process deemed “unreasonably expensive” under current sanctions, the airline intends to focus on extracting high-value components such as engines, landing gear, avionics, and other essential systems.

The deal will be structured in a way that allows Aeroflot to indirectly purchase the freighters through an insurance settlement with the aircraft’s lessor, AerCap.

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The Russian government’s insurance company will reimburse the aircraft’s value, and the planes will then be leased back to local operators. This method circumvents some of the restrictions imposed by international sanctions while ensuring that the airline gains access to the necessary components to support its fleet.

By dismantling the aircraft for spare parts, Aeroflot aims to secure critical resources for the ongoing maintenance of its existing fleet. Components from the Boeing 737-800BCF freighters, such as engines and avionics, are expected to be reused in other aircraft within Aeroflot’s network, ensuring that the airline can keep its operations running smoothly