Mysterious A340 impounded at Bissau

[JanetFlight]

Hi.
So far its seems no one (even the Bissau authorities and dedicated spotting sites) cant find any clue regarding true owner or operator.

Plane, an ex-Kuwait Airways A340-300, registration C5-AST, was registered couple of days ago at Banjul but so far no one lift a bit of the veil.

It seems according some links in portuguese, mother language in Guine-Bissau, the plane was arrested after Bissau President issued an order to let it land...after that, both pilots (turkish ones), and engineer (mexican guy), fled the country without trace, and the anonymous 340 its rotting at a corner in Bissau Osvaldo Vieira Intl Airport.

The reason of the landing and operation at Bissau remains also in secrecy.

There is also a string rumour that Portuguese authorities along with Bissau authorities are searching for a possible connection between some shadow ops btw Brazil, Bolivia and Europe via Bissau maybe using the alleged aircraft.

An interesting story indeed...Link in Portuguese »»»

https://newsavia.com/autoridades-de-bissau-bloquearam-a340-300-com-matricula-da-gambia/

For the time being plane its blocked at OXB without any kind of permission to take off.

Pic by Bissau Media of our 340 »»»
https://postimg.cc/7GB8km1d
https://postimg.cc/jCzPZmXM

[FUMR]

Seems it last operated KWI-BJL with Kuwait registration 9K-AND on 20 March 2020.

[JanetFlight]

According new developments by Bissau and Portuguese authorities it seems no paperwork neither any kind of documents were find onboard the A340 C5-AST.
Not a single doc regarding neither the Owner nor the Operator.
So, my great doubt its as following...its seems our aircraft departed from Banjul, Gambia.
AFAIK, or i could be very wrong, wich i assume by now if its the case, it seems these last few years Gambia its no longer any kind of shadow or obscure aviation country in Africa like example of DRC, Somalia, South Sudan, Liberia, CAR, etc.
So how could it be possible the Banjul authorities allow such dep, such operation, such registration, etc, under their own nose?
And another mistery,,,,allow me if im wrong...if plane was bought in Kuwait, for sure the Kuwait aviation authorities should have known very well for whom they were selling the plane, or am i wrong?
Kuwait is a very trustful nation in aviation, as far as i can perceive, for many years...
So,,,all this story its so weird and suspicious,,,even in the pics i posted before at Bissau, the registration was almost un-painted....we are not talking about that small LET crashed in South Sudan with a fake Colombia reg...we are talking here about a giant 340 departing from Banjul, no longer a city engulfed in shrouds of obscurity...Cheers :)

[HOVIS]

Hmmm, long range aircraft allowed to take off from obscure part of the world without any one batting an eyelid. What could possibly go wrong? 😕

[keitaidenwa]

Quite a big difference from running an shadow flights operation with business jets to running them with an A340!
Other option it was being hidden in Africa, waiting to be flown to Iran, Syria or some other sanctioned country. That's how sanctions have been circumvented before.

[krismiler]

A340 is probably a bit big for drug running and limited in the airports it can use. I've heard of turbo props with additional tanks doing the South America to Africa leg via the closest two points though. My guess would be that the aircraft was bought for Iran Air or Mahan Air. Fuel consumption is no issue for Iran's airlines and no one else wants the A340. The range would be useful as sanctions prohibit refuelling in many countries. The ability to carry fuel for prolonged holding and the return leg would come in very handy.

[JanetFlight]

A new lil development...it is now known according this email sent from Bissau CAA to ASECNA rep at Bissau that the operator its a company by the name of AID AVIATION and according some info it is based in UK.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1011x1467/2dc178ef_22ed_42a2_958b_953f7ea76bb1_7620fe42a4cde506e560c99 224b5ce5adb7b4963.jpeg
https://i.postimg.cc/SsPbqmBV/2-DC178-EF-22-ED-42-A2-958-B-953-F7-EA76-BB1.jpg

[jolihokistix]

The aircraft was acquired by the now-deposed strongman kleptocrat Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jammeh who ruled the West African state from 1994 to 2017 ...

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/109722-guinea-bissau-impounds-gambian-registered-a340

[richsteve4554]

Hey man, I would appreciate it if you could attach here the information that this link has? I really need it but I do not have pro access. I'm in urgent need of it. Maybe you can upload it to a Word document and just upload it here? Thank you a bunch!