Emtrasur Cargo

Emtrasur Cargo
IATA ICAO Call sign
- ESU EMTRASUR
FoundedNovember 19, 2020
Commenced operationsFebruary 2022
HubsEl Libertador Air Base
Parent companyConviasa
HeadquartersMaracay, Venezuela

Emtrasur Cargo (legally Empresa de Transporte Aéreocargo del Sur S.A.) is a cargo subsidiary of Venezuelan flag carrier Conviasa.

Controversies

Emtrasur owned a Boeing 747-300M (YV3531, msn 23413) that previously belonged to Iranian airline Mahan Air, a company that American assistant secretary of export enforcement at the Department of Commerce, Matthew S. Axelrod, alleges has connections to Hezbollah.[1]

On June 8, 2022, the Boeing 747 arrived in Argentina, after a flight originating in Mexico with a stop-over in Venezuela. Two days later, it took off for Uruguay but was denied entry into Uruguayan airspace and returned to Argentina, landing back at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires.[2] The 747 was subsequently detained there for two years.[3]

On February 11, 2024 the plane was transferred to the United States Department of Justice. The next day, the Argentine government allowed it to be flown to the United States where it landed at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport as TYSON23.[4][5][6]

In response to the seizure of the aircraft, Venezuela closed its airspace to all Argentine-registered, Argentina-bound and outbound aircraft. Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil described the seizure as a 'criminal act' of 'piracy and theft', calling the Argentine Government 'neo-Nazi'.[7]

The United States Department of Justice declared that the airplane would be "prepared for disposition" without elaborating on plans for the jet.[8][9] The 747 was scrapped on February 28, 2024.[10][11]

Fleet

Emtrasur Cargo's former Boeing 747-300M, whilst operating with Mahan Air, seen at Dubai International Airport in 2009.

Current fleet

As of April 2024, Emtrasur Cargo is not known to operate any aircraft.[12]

Former fleet

Emtrasur Cargo formerly operated the following aircraft:[12]

Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Boeing 747-300M 1 2022 2022 Leased from Mahan Air.[12]
Scrapped in 2024.[13]

See also

  1. ^ "U.S. seizes Boeing 747 cargo plane that Iranian airline sold to Venezuelan company". USA TODAY.
  2. ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (February 12, 2024). "Avión iraní-venezolano sospechoso de espionaje en Argentina sale rumbo a Estados Unidos". El Tiempo.
  3. ^ ch-aviation.com - US scraps Emtrasur B747 following forfeiture 2 March 2024
  4. ^ "US DOJ ferries Venezuelan B747 out of Argentina". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  5. ^ "ADS-B Exchange - track aircraft live".
  6. ^ "Office of Public Affairs | Former Iranian-Owned Boeing Aircraft Successfully Returned to the United States | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  7. ^ "Yvan Gil (@yvangil) / X".
  8. ^ "US says it's taken possession of a Boeing 747 that Iran sold to a Venezuelan firm". AP News. February 12, 2024.
  9. ^ Motamedi, Maziar. "US seizes plane that Iran sold to Venezuela". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  10. ^ "Estados Unidos confisca el avión venezolano retenido en Argentina desde 2022". February 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "US scraps Emtrasur B747 following forfeiture". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  12. ^ a b c "Emtrasur Cargo Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  13. ^ "YV3531 Emtrasur Cargo Boeing 747-3B3(M)". Planespotters.net. Retrieved February 28, 2024.