Regret to have continued the Avient saga on this thread as I see after my own forum search that there has been extensive discussion about Avient in the past. Perhaps the mods can consider, merge and bring back to life as one again.
The earlier posts and discussions however just seemed to have gone nowhere with some critical and probing questions left unanswered.
AfgAirOps eludes that Avient's IL-76 was previously owned by Zim Express. Rumour is rather that it was acquired by Zimbabwe Air Force and after it had served its use for the ZDF upon their withdrawal from the DRC, placed at the disposal of its current operators (Avient) in a mutually beneficial financial relationship by some very senior officers in the ZAF.
It's purchase may indeed even have been part of the package of services which Mr Andy Smith so flippantly refers to as having been provided to another country (outside Britain) and therefore is nobody else's business. Wonder if he would care to ask his buddies in Zimbabwe why they didnt have the same flippant oppinion about Mr Simon Mann's business.
Referring also to the IL's annual official life prolongations for ageing Russian aircraft, it would appear if the Zimbabwe CAA merely issue an annual C of A renewal for the aircraft without consideration of a Design Buro prolongation certficate.
It would not surpise to see these guy's jumping for other registrations because you cant fool all of the people all of the time. And if there is wonder about why the French never took steps against Avient, probably because the French were begging for traffick into Vatry, and Andy Smith's sister is married to the Airport Manager at Vatry.