Ex French Air Force A340s end up in Iran

On 23 May 2023, two ex Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (AAE, French Air and Space Force) Airbus A340-200s were flown from Kertajati (West-Java, Indonesia) to Chabahar airport, Iran.

The two aircraft are:
msn 075 – ex F-RAJA , registered as F-HFDD on behalf of LMD Aero after withdrawal from use by the AAE.
msn 081 – ex F-RAJB, registered as F-HLMG on behalf of LMD Aero after withdrawal from use by the AAE.

The two Airbuses were stored at Chateauroux between March 2021 and Spring 2022 after both were withdrawn from use by the AAE in December 2020.

In Spring 2022 things became a bit sketchy, when both airframes were ferried to an airfield called Kertajati Bandar Udara in West-Java, Indonesia. According to sources both airframes were obtained by a front company of Mahan Air in Indonesia.

After a year on the ground both aircraft were registered in Mali (msn 075 TZ-DTA, msn 081 TZ-DTC) on behalf of a sham company of Mahan Air. Both aircraft left Indonesia on their way to Mali on 23 May, but on their way to Africa they diverted to Chabahar airport in Southwest Iran.

According to our source, these two aircraft are procured by an Iranian government owned airline, Meraj Air.

Source: Babak Taghvaee / Photo by Anton Homma