June 24th 2024.
Several months ago, two airplanes departed from an airport in Lithuania with the intention of flying to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. However, something strange happened during their journey. The planes deviated from their intended flight paths, turned off their transponders, and landed in Iran without notifying air traffic control. This unexpected turn of events has raised many questions and sparked concerns among Lithuanian authorities.
The two Airbus A340s were scheduled to fly to South Asia in February, but instead, one ended up at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran and the other at Chabahar Konarak Airport. These planes belonged to a Gambian leasing company called Macka Invest, and a third plane from the same company was also scheduled to depart but was stopped from taking off.
Aurelija Kuezada, director of Šiauliai Airport, explained that the planes were supposed to fly to the Philippines, but they could have also landed in Iran. The transponders on both planes were switched off as soon as they entered Iranian airspace, making them undetectable by radar systems. It was later revealed that the planes were now claimed by Mahan Air, effectively being "smuggled" into the country.
This strange incident was speculated to have occurred because of the economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the US due to their nuclear program. These sanctions prevent the nation from purchasing new planes, forcing them to resort to alternative methods of obtaining aircraft. Oro Navigacija, Lithuania's state-owned navigation service provider, stated that the planes did not raise any suspicions during their movements outside of Lithuanian airspace.
This is not the first time that planes have mysteriously ended up in Iran when they were not supposed to. In December 2022, four commercial Airbus A340 planes were en route from South Africa to Uzbekistan but diverted and landed in Iran. On that occasion, their transponders were also turned off in the same manner as in February. According to reports, Iran needs at least 550 aircraft, but they are unable to purchase them due to the sanctions.
The recent death of Iran's president, who was nicknamed the "Butcher of Tehran," has been a topic of discussion in relation to this incident. He died in a helicopter crash last month, bringing relief to many victims of his atrocities. The situation surrounding these mysterious plane landings in Iran remains a cause for concern and raises questions about the country's methods of obtaining aircraft.
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