The Civil Aviation Authority of Iran recently purchased four Airbus A340 aircraft despite international sanctions. The aircraft that previous flew for Turkish Airlines and registered in Burkina Faso departed from Johannesburg, South Africa, bound for Uzbekistan. The aircraft disappeared from flight tracking services as they flew over Iran.
A few days later, the satellite recorded them at the Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran.
On December 29, 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of Iran confirmed that the four A340s had been acquired to be used by one of Iran’s airlines. However, it is unclear how the deal to avoid sanctions was completed. Experts claim that the aircraft might join Mahan Air which already flies several Airbus A340s.
This purchase has drawn criticism from some quarters with US and other Western countries imposing economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Due to these sanctions, operators in Iran are forced to operate old and ageing fleet.