{"id":141387,"date":"2026-05-02T17:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T11:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=141387"},"modified":"2026-05-02T15:55:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:25:53","slug":"rare-boeing-777-hull-loss-as-mahan-air-jet-destroyed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/rare-boeing-777-hull-loss-as-mahan-air-jet-destroyed\/","title":{"rendered":"Rare Boeing 777 Hull Loss as Mahan Air Jet Destroyed in Iran Airport Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TEHRAN-<\/strong> Mahan Air (W5)<\/a>, the largest airline in Iran, lost a Boeing 777-200ER in a late March 2026 Israeli airstrike on Mashhad International Airport (MHD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft, registered as EP-MTC, was completely destroyed on the ground, marking a rare hull loss for the widebody type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 25-year-old jet had only joined Mahan Air’s fleet in December 2025 after a complex multi-country acquisition journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to the attack, the aircraft operated long-haul routes between Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) and major Chinese cities, including Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rare
Photo: X.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Israeli Airstrike Causes Rare Boeing 777 Hull Loss<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In late March 2026, the Israeli Air Force carried out a heavy airstrike targeting Mashhad International Airport (MHD) in northeastern Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strike hit fuel depots and several parked aircraft. Initial reports indicated that at least 2 Mahan Air planes had been damaged, including a Boeing 777-212ER and an Airbus A340-642.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Images now circulating online, as reported by OMAAT<\/a>, confirm the Boeing 777 was completely destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fuselage has been reduced to what resembles a fish skeleton, with only the structural ribs of the airframe still visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The engines and most of the wing structures remain largely intact, but the main body of the aircraft is entirely unrecognizable. The plane will never fly again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft’s last flight took place on March 29, 2026, the same day as the attack, operating from Shanghai (PVG) to Mashhad (MHD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radar tracking data shows coverage of the flight ended over western Afghanistan, consistent with the common practice of Iranian-bound aircraft turning off transponders in that region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rare
Photo: By Tetzemann – Own work, CC0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=72955127<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aircraft History and Fleet Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The destroyed Boeing 777-200ER<\/a> (EP-MTC) first entered service in 2001 with Singapore Airlines (SQ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Singapore Airlines (SQ)<\/a> retired the aircraft in 2015, it began flying with NokScoot, the Thai low-cost long-haul carrier, before eventually being placed in long-term storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mahan Air operates a fleet of approximately 35 aircraft. The loss of a widebody jet like the 777 after just 3 months of operations is a significant blow, particularly given the extreme difficulty Iranian carriers face in sourcing replacement aircraft under sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mahan
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Mahan Air, EP-MNX, Airbus A310-304, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=61045328<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Iranian Airlines Acquire Aircraft Under Sanctions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Iran has faced long-standing Western sanctions that block the country’s airlines from purchasing aircraft directly from Boeing, Airbus, or most international leasing companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has forced Iranian carriers to rely on indirect and often opaque acquisition methods. Airlines like Iran Air<\/a> and Mahan Air operate varied and outdated fleets because they acquire whatever aircraft they can source through these channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The typical pattern involves an obscure company emerging in a country that does not sanction Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That company purchases aircraft, files flight plans to a non-Iranian destination, and then, mid-flight, transponders are turned off. The aircraft then appeared in Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The destroyed 777 followed this exact pattern. The aircraft had been stored at Alice Springs Airport (ASP) in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2023, it was acquired by Ion Aviation, a United States-based entity that briefly operated a website describing itself as “your trusted partner for aviation solutions and insights,” offering “expert aviation consulting services.” That website has since been taken down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft was then sold to UDAAN Aviation, a company registered in Madagascar. One certainly wonders what the United States-based company knew about the plane’s ultimate destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the transfer process, the plane was parked briefly in Lanzhou, China (LHW), then repositioned to Siem Reap, Cambodia (REP), and later flown to Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK), presumably for maintenance work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After maintenance, the aircraft was flown toward Iran. The filed flight plan did not list Iran as the destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, transponders were switched off over Afghanistan, and the plane ultimately ended up in Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mahan
Photo: By Papas Dos from Moscow, Russia – EP-MMF A346 Mahan Air VKO (2), CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=58463246<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What This Means For Mahan Air<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The destruction of the Boeing 777 after just three months in the fleet represents both a financial and operational setback for Mahan Air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Replacing a widebody aircraft through Iran’s constrained procurement channels is a lengthy and uncertain process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline’s fleet already consists of varied and aging aircraft types, and each hull loss reduces its long-haul capacity on high-demand routes to China and other destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us on\u00a0Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emirates A380 and Saudia A321 Damaged By Iranian Drone at Dubai Airport<\/a><\/blockquote>