Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, Saudia, has defended its transaction in 2023 in which it sold five Boeing 777-200 which eventually will end up in the hands of Mahan Air. The Iranian carrier is faced with sanctions and is strategically scrutinised due to the claims that it has ties with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Saudia has defended its position, which, in a report by the Arab News, clarified that the planes were sold to a company outside of the Kingdom; thus, the transaction was carried out in accordance with acceptable commercial and legal procedures. These planes are reportedly in Iran and are in the delivery pipeline to Mahan.

Five Boeing 777-200s Have Been Sold To Iran

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Saudia made the completion of the sale three years ago with a company outside of the Kingdom, and since the transfer of ownership, the Saudi carrier has confirmed it has had no operational or commercial involvement with the airplanes. The airline faced scrutiny after it was discovered that the planes were destined for Iran. This has forced Saudia to clarify that it had no ill intentions or plans to circumvent the current sanctions.

Saudia has continued to distance itself from Mahan Air, which led to the airline going public with the process that was followed during the aircraft sale, and that a correct process was followed. According to Defense Security Asia, the five planes are now reportedly inside Iran or within the delivery pipeline for Mahan, and two of the 777s have been spotted at Tehran Mehrabad International Airport (THR), where they are expected to be refurbished. Saudia shared the following statement:

“Since the completion of the sale, Saudia has had no operational or commercial relationship with the aircraft.”

Aircraft Are Now Set To Be Refurbished Before Entering Service For Mahan Air

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Given the plane’s sale in 2023, this has faced scrutiny given that the US-manufactured airframes are now within the sanctioned Iranian aviation ecosystem. Critics were quick to suggest this was a commercial deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, more due to the complex secondary-market transfer that can be involved with older aircraft that are being retired.

The planes, which are now in Tehran, are set to be refurbished to align with the Mahan Air service offering; however, it remains unclear how much of a change may be on the horizon, as it is known that the airline sometimes maintains existing onboard seating, galleys, and sometimes even the in-flight entertainment system (IFE).

For Saudia, the retirement and sale of these aircraft are part of routine fleet changes, of which the airline has been disposing of older aircraft and selling them off as second-hand, as it looks to reposition itself with newer planes and liveries.

Two Delivered, Three More To Go

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According to Babak Taghavee – The Crisis Watch on X, it is believed that the two 777-200 which are already delivered are sitting at Tehan, with another three being prepared for delivery. It is suggested that one of these aircraft is sitting in Muscat (MCT), while the other two are in Fujairah (FJR), and the sale is being facilitated by the Emirati government.

Saudia is the flag carrier and the Saudi Kingdom’s oldest airline. The airline operates a fleet of close to 150 planes and has a range of narrowbody aircraft, including the Airbus A320, A321, A330, B777, and 787 Dreamliner. The carrier is headquartered in Jeddah and primarily serves destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. It has been a member of the SkyTeam alliance since May 2012.

Mahan Air is a privately owned airline backed by the Mol-Al-Movahedin Institute. IT was founded in 1991 and has hubs at Tehran’s two major airports. It operates scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. According to fleet details, the airline already has four 777-200ER, with one being destroyed by airstrikes in March earlier this year.