Viktor Bout Airlines and Airplane Laundering

oringially posted July 17 th 2007

Not long ago, the European Union added a whole chunk of dodgy Moldovan airlines to its flight-safety blacklist after ramp checks showed their aircraft were unsafe. Now, we have reports that the Moldovans have taken the logical next step and drained the swamp, by revoking the AOCs of the companies in question. It's bye bye to our old friends Jet Line International, but also to mystery operator Grixona (a frequent presence on the Sharjah-Iraq and Afghanistan routes), Jet Stream (another UAE-to-warzones Il76 operator), and Tiramavia (much the same). Pecotox also goes.Here's the list from ATDB:

• An-24RV (ER-AWR, msn 37308605) put in storage by Jet Line International, returned to Aerocom·
• An-24RV (ER-AZY, msn 47309310) put in storage by Aerom·
• An-24RV (ER-AZX, msn 47309804) returned to Pecotox-Air after lease to Aéro-Service then ops in Iraq·
• An-24RV (ER-AFB, msn 87310810.2)
• put in storage by Jet Line International, returned to Aerocom· Il-18V (ER-ICB, msn 188010603) put in storage by Grixona·
• An-12AP (ER-ACV, msn 347408) put in storage by Grixona· An-12TB (ER-ACQ, msn 1347908) put in storage by Grixona·
• An-12BK (ER-AXG, msn 347407) put in storage by Tiramavia·
• An-12BK (ER-AXZ, msn 8346106) put in storage by Jet Line International·
• An-12BP (ER-ADQ, msn 402410) put in storage by Jet Line International·
• An-12BP (ER-ADK, msn 5342802) put in storage by Grixona·
• An-12V (ER-ACY, msn 347306) put in storage by Grixona·
• An-12V (ER-ACS, msn 347401) put in storage by Grixona·
• An-12V (ER-ACO, msn 5343204) put in storage by Tiramavia·
• An-12V (ER-ACR, msn 6343810) put in storage by Tiramavia·
• An-26B (ER-AFE, msn 17310905) put in storage by Jet Line International·
• An-26B (ER-AFL, msn 17311705) put in storage by Jet Line International·
• An-72 (A) (ER-AVG, msn 36572095909) put in storage by Pecotox-Air·
• Il-76TD (ER-IBK, msn 53460790) put in storage by Jet Stream Airlines· Il-76TD (ER-IBY, msn 53460832) put in storage by Tiramavia·
• Il-76T (ER-IBV, msn 3423699) put in storage by Jet Line International·
• Il-76T (ER-IBF, msn 73410300) put in storage by Jet Line International·
• Il-76T (ER-IBH, msn 73411331) put in storage by Tiramavia·
• Il-76T (ER-IBD, msn 73411338) put in storage by Jet Stream Airlines·
• Il-76T (ER-IBG, msn 93418548) put in storage by Tiramavia·
• Il-76T (ER-IBP, msn 93418556) put in storage by Jet Stream Airlines·
• Il-76MD (ER-IBC, msn 83489683) put in storage by Tiramavia

It's good to see the back of the firm that brought the missing 99 tonnes of guns in Iraq, to say nothing of the mysterious "Air Bridge Group" of Australia.

Labels: 4GW, aviation, Operation Firedump, Viktor
LINK and Comments posted by Alex : 4:05 PM
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The Rest @ the Yorkshire Ranter

also Richard Chichakli appears to be backonline from Moscow