Why would Iran Air make a tech stop at Manston?

Yes until 2011, Iran Air Heathrow flights stopped at Manston to refuel thereby circumventing US sanctions.

The circumvention continued for several years after that - after the Manston flights ceased in December 2011, the LHR-IKA flight routed via Vienna for a few weeks, then via Ljubljana or Malpensa for while and more recently via Prague.

It's only since January 2016, when US sanctions were lifted, that they have actually been able to fly direct to Tehran from LHR.

I remember this article was on one local news channels it showed an Iran Airbus land at manston then refilled belive it caused a few raised eye brows with the government then suddenly stopped with regards to th air Gambia 707 this was which omega air owned manston had quite a few old 707s turn up around 92/93 they also flew them under flags of convinances I remember seeing one with a Mexican reg there was over 10 parked at manston once mostly scrapped I know one of the omega air aircraft was leased to the United Nations and run over a runway some where there was over 160 troops on board either Indian or Pakistan .I belive omega air moved to Ireland they use to operate from an old shady building across from the terminal this now demolished should have also mentioned air Atlanta operated from manston with Tristars 747 also did see a airbus310 which they operated it was a airport you did not know what was turning up fantastic let's hope it opens again

Am I alone in wishing lotus1 would learn what punctuation marks are?

Sorry chevron and anyone else I was brought up on a rough south London comprehensive school?

So was my missus (Camberwell)

Apologise all round then.

Now that's very interesting and something that I wasn't aware of.

I've always wondered why there are several photos online showing the Air Gambia B707 at Manston and none showing the aircraft at Gatwick on any of the remote stands for it's layover, now I know the reason :-)

Omega.
 

Cheaper to land and park at MSE than LGW.:) Re. the post about the airshow, arrived at Mse in a MK DC8 during the show, and made a low pass before landing to the delight of all.:E Just prior to the Balkans war, we had almost daily services by JAT for Yugotours which stopped immediately the conflict started.:(
AT

We also had, on a Tuesday evening, if I remember correctly, in the summer season a 737-200 of Air Atlantis (Portugese) drop in for motion lotion because it could not make SEN to Faro in one hop.
TTFN
AT

WIth regards to operators from manston what ever happend to Mama airlines they
Did have a operators licence aircraft type to be used was going to be 737 aircraft .This must have been around 2003/2004.

Manston was a major D & D airfield and had a nice 'line" in Foam runways!!

Hence the runway that's almost as wide as it is long. :O

Manston was a MDA (Master Diversion Airfield) of which the RAF had 8, I worked at one of them (Lyneham) so it had nothing to do with runway width although another MDA was St Mawgan which had a 300' wide runway, I( think it was Leeming that also had a foam runway facility.

Only because it was one of the 3 'emergency' runways built during WW2, the others being Woodbridge and Bridlington/Carnaby. Whilst Woodbridge still exists, Carnaby has been almost obliterated by industrial buildings.
They were all 9,000ft long and effectively 3 'normal' width runways side by side.

Manston also had FIDO.

Yes, that's what I was thinking of. :\

In the old days, in crosswind conditions, the RAF even allowed Brymon to land their DHC7's across the runway at St. Mawgan

Jan. 21st 1961.
Troop flight to Germany.
Hermes Aircraft, I cannot remember the operator, maybe "Eagle"?

OPF

Yes Dave the width is the thing !! One of the clubs with MS 880 used to take of across the runway ! I had a nose gear stuck in a Cessna 310 going into Biggin Hill. Biggin said you cant land here you''ll block the Runway ! They said we have contacted Manston and they will take you. I called Manston and they said I HAD to have foam !!
They asked what length I required !!! I said what is normal ?? They said will 2,000 feet be OK. So I said yes then orbited while they laid it. It was very quick with 2 tankers but when they finished 2,000 feet of foam on that runway looked very small !!