By Omar | 2025-04-12

A 35-year-old Boeing 747 operated by Iran’s Mahan Air -- first flown in August 1990 -- remains in service today, decades after most global carriers retired the iconic jumbo jet to scrapyards.

Believed to be the oldest active passenger 747 of its type, the aircraft continues flying well past its expected lifespan, confined largely to Iranian airspace.

Tehran resident Abbas, 36, said he flew on the aircraft to Syria four years ago.

"The aircraft was extremely old, and there were severe jolts throughout the flight that really unsettled passengers," he told Pishtaz, providing only his first name due to security concerns.

The cabin conditions were "extremely disappointing" and the flight raised serious safety concerns, he said, describing the experience as a "disaster" and vowing never to fly on the aircraft again.

"Almost all active aircraft in Iran are unsafe, and every time they take off, passengers' lives are at risk," he said.

"These planes are extremely worn out and wouldn't even be in use in other countries. Due to the misguided policies of the Islamic Republic, Iran's aviation fleet is heading toward collapse."

'Stolen aircraft'

The Boeing 747 in Mahan Air's fleet has other issues as well.

The aircraft, along with two others, was found to be unlawfully retained by Mahan Air, following a UK High Court ruling after original owner and operator Blue Sky raised concerns over allegedly forged sales documents.

The court ordered the return of the aircraft and imposed substantial financial penalties, but Mahan Air has continued to operate the planes in defiance of the ruling.

Mahan Air, Iran's largest private airline established in 1992, is under US and European Union (EU) sanctions for supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and transporting weapons to Russia and Middle Eastern nations.

"Mahan Air engages in illicit operations, transporting weapons and illicit funds to Russia and the Middle East, using its passengers as cover," Türkiye-based international relations analyst Ali Javaherpour told Pishtaz.

"It no longer operates as a normal commercial airline," he said. "It conducts military flights disguised as civilian ones."

The operation of this aircraft, which lacks proper safety certification and remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings, must be halted immediately, Javaherpour said, adding that "using stolen aircraft is only possible in a country like Iran."

"Countries receiving Mahan Air flights should sever ties with the airline and ban its operations in their airspace," Javaherpour said, adding that the airline is jeopardizing passengers' lives by operating stolen and blacklisted planes.