By nyasatimes
Africa-Press – Malawi. Malawi has been thrust into the middle of an international aviation scandal after revelations that Rayoni Tourism Airline — owned by businessman and former Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Commissioner Anthony Mukumbwa — may be acting as a front for the illegal transfer of aircraft to Iran, potentially violating global sanctions regimes.
Rayoni, which also trades as Flytech Aviation Group, recently purchased four former Thai Airways Airbus A340-600 aircraft — massive, long-haul jets that make no commercial sense for a tiny airline with no long-distance routes, no operational history, and no disclosed financial muscle.
But what alarms aviation and security analysts worldwide is not the purchase itself — it is what the aircraft appear to be intended for.
A Damning Trail of Suspicion
The four Airbus A340-600s, now painted in unmarked white liveries and registered in Malawi as 7Q-YAQ and 7Q-YAP, were spotted in China. Their ownership trail shows a suspicious pattern:
Previously owned by Hua An Aviation Parts in China
Briefly re-registered in Guernsey in early 2024
Quickly removed from that registry
Re-appearing months later under Malawi’s 7Q registry
Analysts say this “disappearing and reappearing” is a classic hallmark of aviation laundering — a method used to mask the true destination of sanctioned aircraft destined for Iran’s Mahan Air, an airline long accused of being used by Tehran to dodge sanctions and facilitate clandestine operations.
Why Malawi? A Convenient Flag of Convenience
Global aviation experts warn that Malawi’s small, lightly regulated civil aviation environment makes it an attractive cover for suspect aircraft movements.
And Rayoni’s role raises even more questions.
The company’s declared fleet plan — small turboprops and regional jets — does not include any widebody aircraft, let alone four ultra-long-haul A340-600s.
The company has only one known operation: leasing a DC-9 to a Somali airline.
This makes the acquisition of four long-range, high-cost, high-maintenance Airbus giants entirely illogical for legitimate business purposes, but perfectly consistent with Iran’s well-documented tactics for acquiring Western aircraft illegally.
The Mukumbwa Factor: A Governance Red Flag
Rayoni is owned by Anthony Mukumbwa, a former Commissioner at the Malawi Electoral Commission — a position associated with public trust, oversight responsibilities, and constitutional integrity.
For Malawi, this connection is deeply troubling. If a company owned by a former elections commissioner is involved — knowingly or unknowingly — in helping a sanctioned state circumvent international aviation laws, the reputational damage to Malawi could be devastating:
Possible sanctions risk for Malawi’s aviation registry
Blacklistings affecting Malawi’s airspace and airlines
Strained relations with international partners
Loss of credibility in global regulatory compliance
This is not just a corporate scandal. It could become a national liability.
A Pattern Iran Knows Too Well
International observers note that Iran has repeatedly:
Acquired aging Western aircraft via shell companies
Registered them in jurisdictions with weak regulatory scrutiny
Flown them into Iran under disguised or falsified flight plans
Rayoni’s behavior, aviation analysts warn, fits this playbook with eerie precision.
The Question Malawi Must Ask
Is Rayoni Tourism Airline:
A legitimate Malawian aviation startup making irrational business decisions?
—or—
A front being used to move sanctioned aircraft into Iran, risking Malawi’s international standing?
The silence from Rayoni and the Malawi Government only deepens concern.
Until clear answers are provided, the Rayoni case remains one of the most alarming red flags in Malawi’s aviation and governance space — with potentially global consequences.
Source: Malawi Nyasa Times
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