Saudia has denied reports suggesting it sold former Boeing 777-200ER aircraft directly to Iran after media outlets claimed several of its retired widebodies had been transferred to Mahan Air.
In a statement published on X, the airline said the aircraft had been sold on June 7, 2023, to a company registered outside Saudi Arabia through what it described as a standard commercial transaction conducted in accordance with applicable regulations.
"Since the completion of the sale, Saudia has had no operational or commercial relationship with the aircraft," the airline said, without identifying either the buyer or the aircraft involved.
The statement followed reports claiming at least five former Saudia Boeing 777-200ERs had reached Iran or were undergoing refurbishment there before entering service with Mahan Air, one of the country's largest airlines and an operator subject to US sanctions.
So far, no aircraft registrations or serial numbers have been publicly identified to support those claims.
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Saudia retired most of its Boeing 777-200ER fleet several years ago as newer Boeing 787 Dreamliners entered service. Some aircraft were transferred to leasing or asset management companies, while others remain parked.
At least one former aircraft carrying the temporary registration C9-AKR was photographed stored in Jeddah after its Saudia titles had been removed, although its current ownership and intended destination remain unclear.
The reports emerged less than a year after Mahan Air received three Boeing 777-200ERs that previously flew for Singapore Airlines and NokScoot. Those aircraft reached Iran after passing through several owners, temporary registrations and ferry flights across multiple countries before entering service with the airline.
Iran has used similar methods before to obtain Western-built aircraft despite longstanding US sanctions. Several Airbus A340s currently operated by Iranian airlines also reached the country through complex ownership transfers and indirect delivery routes.
US sanctions prohibit the sale of Boeing aircraft and many US-origin aircraft components to Iranian operators without government authorization. As a result, Iranian airlines have relied on the secondary market, intermediaries and aircraft retired by foreign carriers to expand or maintain their fleets.
Although reports have linked retired Saudia 777s to Mahan Air, no public evidence has yet confirmed that any of the former Saudi aircraft have entered service in Iran. Saudia's statement also stops short of identifying the company that purchased the aircraft in 2023, leaving the subsequent ownership chain unresolved.
