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India Today
2 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Boeing ghost flights: China-Iran air route raises eyebrows in Israel conflict
Multiple Boeing 747s were tracked flying from China to Iran, disappearing near Iranian airspace, prompting speculation that Beijing may be covertly supporting Tehran during escalating tensions with Israel.A string of mysterious Boeing 747 flights departing China for Iran has raised suspicions that Beijing may be covertly aiding Tehran as Israeli airstrikes intensify against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, according to a Fox News Digital Boeing 747s have been spotted on radar leaving China for Iran over the last week," Fox News reported, citing flight-tracking data and European intelligence assessments. Starting June 14, at least five cargo flights took off from various points in China and travelled a discreet route westward along China's northern air corridor. They then descend through Central Asia -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan -- before vanishing from radar near Iranian airspace, according to FlightRadar24 and The Telegraph. Intriguingly, the listed destination for the flights was Luxembourg. But the aircraft never entered European airspace."The mystery transport planes," as described by The Telegraph, have fuelled speculation amongst defence analysts who suggest the flights could be part of an undisclosed logistics operation — possibly moving military supplies, key personnel, or sensitive cargo to support Iran during its escalating confrontation with types of planes are typically used for transport," one expert told Fox News Digital, "and could be evidence of China aiding its longtime ally Iran during the conflict."China and Iran are strategic partners. They oppose the US-led world order and favour a multipolar phase in global diplomacy. Iran is also a key energy supplier to China, sending two million barrels of oil daily."I think it's important to remember what the relationship is; forty-three percent of China's oil and gas comes from the Middle East, a large volume of that from Iran," Robert Greenway, director of the Heritage Foundation's Centre for National Defence, told "The Ingraham Angle" on Wednesday night. Iran supplies China with about two million barrels of oil each DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN CHINA-IRAN FLIGHTSThe main airline involved, Luxembourg-based cargo airline, Cargolux has denied allegations linking its aircraft to a series of suspicious Boeing 747 flights from China to Iran, which reportedly disappeared from radar near Iranian airspace. These claims have fuelled speculation that China may be covertly aiding Iran with weapons during its ongoing tensions with a statement released on both its official website and Facebook page on Sunday, Cargolux clarified that "none of its flights utilise Iranian airspace." The airline emphasised that its operations are fully transparent and relies on advanced tracking systems to ensure real-time flight tracking systems provide real-time data, which confirms that no flight entered Iranian airspace. Any claims to the contrary are completely unfounded," the company XI CALLS FOR CEASEFIREChina's President Xi Jinping urged more diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and Iran in a call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Chinese state news agency Xinhua without naming the United States, said "major countries" with "special influence" in the region should step up diplomatic efforts to cool down the situation, the report said, emphasising Israel's role in bringing about a ceasefire.
France 24
11 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Watch out for flight tracking images showing Chinese cargo planes landing in Iran
Since June 12, and the start of the war between Israel and Iran, many Internet users have been claiming that China is secretly supporting Iran militarily, based on images from Flightradar24, a website that enables live tracking of aircraft in flight. On Monday, a pro-Iranian account on X called SilencedSirs claimed that 'two giant cargo planes flying from China to Iran turned off their tracking signals before entering Iranian airspace". According to SilencedSirs, the proof is two-fold: a video shared in a post viewed over six million times made by a supposed media outlet called Prime Scope, and a screenshot of an aircraft's route tracked by Flightradar24, purporting to show one of the planes in Iranian airspace. Since Friday, many Internet users have also been sharing other Flightradar24 images purporting to show several flights from China entering Iran. Screenshots shared online of the air traffic monitoring site show that various flights operated by Luxembourg cargo airline Cargolux on June 14, 15 and 16 arrived in Iran. 'China sends the first military aid to Iran – unknown cargo,' said a user on X on the night of June 14-15, with a screenshot showing a Cargolux plane supposedly flying over Iran. The same thing happened on June 16, with another flight allegedly showing a 'Chinese cargo plane arriving in Iran' (see below). A video of highly dubious origin However, so far, none of the Flightradar24 screenshots posted online since Friday show any aircraft heading for Iran. In fact, the flight number ' MNB1925 ' visible in the image broadcast in the now viral video corresponds to the Turkish company MNG Airlines, as can be traced from Flightradar24. A search using the name of this flight on the site reveals that no flight under this acronym has crossed Iran since Friday. Only one flight – the one used in the video – passed north of Iran from Turkmenistan. The map used in the video adds to the confusion because it doesn't show borders. The video's origin is also highly dubious: our editors could find no trace online of a media outlet called Prime Scope, which defined itself at the end of the video as "unfiltered and unbiased". Images that do not show these planes in Iran But what about the other images of planes that appear to be flying over Iran? Three flights in particular have been scrutinised by Internet users: flights CLX9735, CLX9736, and CLX9737. Operated by Cargolux, all three departed from China. For each of these flights, screenshots (like the one below) show a plane flying over Iranian territory after passing through Turkmenistan, to the northeast of Iran. But in reality, the visuals used for each of these flights do not show real trajectories, but only 'estimated' trajectories by Flightradar24, which do not correspond to the paths actually taken by the planes. When contacted by the FRANCE 24 team, the Flightradar24 website explained that the aircraft icons that appear to be flying over Iran are in fact only 'estimation data' shown 'when a user clicks on a flight", to give an indication of the direction in which the aircraft should be heading. 'Estimated positions are noted by the black trail colour,' Ian Petchenik, the company's communications director, told our editors. This explanation was also given on the Flightradar24 Facebook page on Sunday, recalling that this type of estimate can last 'up to 240 minutes' after the signal is lost. In a statement published on its website and Facebook page on Sunday, Luxembourg-based Cargolux said that 'none of its flights utilise Iranian airspace". 'Our flight tracking systems provide real-time data, which confirms that no flight entered Iranian airspace. Any claims to the contrary are completely unfounded,' the company also stated, criticising 'incorrect data' from public tools, without naming Flightradar24 directly. Since Friday, an information bulletin from the European Union's Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommended airlines 'not to operate' in Iranian airspace (as well as in the airspace of countries in the path of the missiles) and 'at all flight levels'. 'Because the schedule we receive from Cargolux indicates the flight is operating to Luxembourg, we continue to estimate the flight's last known altitude, speed, and heading, which unfortunately puts the aircraft's path through Iran during a period of estimated coverage,' Petchenik explained, who also confirmed that none of these aircraft flew over Iran. China opposed Israeli attacks on Iran These false claims are circulating at a time when China has explicitly condemned Israel's attacks on Iran. "Israel's military actions against Iran have led to a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East, which deeply concerns China. We oppose any action that undermines the sovereignty of other countries," said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday at a meeting in Kazakhstan with five Central Asian countries. On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had already expressed his dissatisfaction to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, explaining that "the international community is still seeking a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue". He had previously called Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to express China's support. China is not only a major diplomatic ally for Iran, but also an important economic partner since 90% of Iranian crude oil is exported to China. A stopover in Turkmenistan for 'refuelling' If flight CLX9737's destination was Turkmenistan, what about flights CLX9735 and CLX9736? Both are supposed to be direct flights between China and Luxembourg, but their tracking seemed to stop in the middle of Turkmenistan, according to their flight history available on the Flightradar24 website. When asked about this, Flightradar24 told our team that the partial route was due to a lack of information on the stopovers of Cargolux flights, which regularly stop off in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, on the route between China and Luxembourg. 'Cargolux knows that its planes will stop in Ashgabat to refuel, but this stop is not indicated in the available information,' explained Petchenik. Hence the impression, when consulting Flightradar24, that these journeys ended in Turkmenistan, when their destination was in fact Luxembourg. Another air traffic monitoring site, FlightAware, showed that both flights were completed in two stages. On this website, the planes can be traced back some four hours after their stopover in Ashgabat. On both occasions, they were found on the western border of Turkmenistan, en route to Luxembourg, without passing through Iran.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
Lone flight crossing Iran? Viral video of single aircraft flying over Iranian airspace leaves TikTokers baffled
Amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, a viral TikTok video showing a single aircraft flying through Iranian airspace while the rest of the area appears very empty on the flight has sparked widespread curiosity. The viral video has come in the wake of Israeli strikes in Iran that took place on June 13. In response to escalating tensions, Iran and Iraq have reportedly closed their airspace completely, while Jordan, Syria and Israel are seeing only a flow of flight activity. According to Indy100, the flight tracking data indicates that the first aircraft began rerouting away from Tehran at nearly 00:06 UTC, despite the Iranian and Iraqi airspace still being busy at the same time. TikTokers baffled by a flight crossing Iran amid airspace The viral clip appears to show a lone flight making its way across the region. As is common internet fashion, users match the footage with the trending Jet2 audio, where people humorously share holiday mishaps set to the upbeat jingle from the airline's advertisement: "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday." However, the Indy100 report suggests that the flight in question wasn't operated by Jet2. In fact, it was depicted as a Cargolux cargo service en route from Zhengzhou to London. But the airline says that the situation isn't quite the same as it appears. But is the Iran single-flight viral video real? Cargolux told Indy100, "We are aware of the recent information/statements circulating on social media regarding recent Cargolux flights alleged to be using Iranian airspace, based on the data received on a publicly available app." 9-second video of the clearing of Iranian and Iraqi airspace. Cargolux firmly clarifies that none of its flights pass through Iranian airspace. Other airlines may also be affected by inaccurate data displayed on publicly accessible flight tracking apps. She continues that Cargolux operates with state-of-the-art technology systems, which are similar to those that are used by all major airlines, ensuring that they know the exact position of our aircraft at all times. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft volunteers for fuel premium to move server racks by air
Microsoft is committing to pay extra for freight transportation to cover the cost of using sustainable aviation fuel on flights carrying server racks. Luxembourg-based Cargolux, the 10th-largest cargo airline by traffic, and Microsoft's logistics service provider AIT Worldwide Logistics, announced Tuesday that the tech giant has signed a large deal to support the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel, which is three to four times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. The companies said the partnership will save 72,750 tons of climate-warming carbon dioxide over the next three years. The SAF, produced and delivered by Valero Marketing & Supply Company and its Diamond Green Diesel LLC joint venture, is based on used cooking oil and tallow – without palm oil or any derivatives. The biofuel is added to Cargolux's fuel supply at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Microsoft will receive green credits for its SAF contributions through a certified registry.'Collaboration across our supply chain ecosystem is crucial as we continue to drive toward Microsoft's sustainability goals. By working together to increase the production and use of SAF, we can help to cost effectively drive down emissions and increase the potential for more use of alternative fuels across the transport ecosystem,' Colin Todd, Microsoft's general manager of cloud manufacturing operations and fulfillment, said in a news release. Cargolux operates a fleet of 30 Boeing 747-8 and 747-400 freighter aircraft. It has an order with Boeing for 10 next-generation 777-8 freighters to replace aging 747-400s, with deliveries expected to start sometime late this decade. Sustainable fuels can reduce 80% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil-based fuel, although some critics say the life cycle emissions of production and transport to airports can cancel out the benefits. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric READING: UPS to eliminate 20K jobs as Amazon decoupling accelerates DHL cuts ties with cargo airlines as efficiency initiative ramps up The post Microsoft volunteers for fuel premium to move server racks by air appeared first on FreightWaves. Sign in to access your portfolio
