Three Large Aircraft Abandoned at Airports in Portugal
Among the aircraft, there is a VIP Boeing 727.
At airports in Portugal, specifically in Porto and Faro, three large aircraft have been abandoned by their owners. Among them is a Boeing 727, which for many years was linked to the former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with two Airbus A319 jets that previously operated for White Airways.
Faced with this situation, airport operator ANA has expressed concerns to the government about abandoned aircraft occupying valuable space and posing environmental risks. As a result, authorities are considering amending public airport regulations to allow ANA to remove these aircraft.
According to ECO, under the proposed new guidelines, an aircraft that remains parked continuously for more than 90 days or has accumulated unpaid fees equivalent to 30 days of use may be considered improperly stationed, as reported by our partner outlet Aeroin.
The owner would then have 60 days to remove the aircraft. If they fail to do so, the aircraft may be declared abandoned and transferred to the State, specifically to the Federal Revenue Service.
More Abandoned Aircraft
The case of the Boeing 727, parked at Faro Airport since 2007, is well known. This aircraft, which originally entered service in 1965 with Lufthansa, was later owned by Jean-Pierre Bemba, whose plane was seized at the request of the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court due to war crime accusations.
During the same operation, authorities also confiscated assets including a house in Quinta do Lago, two luxury cars, and a yacht. Jean-Pierre Bemba was arrested in 2008 and spent ten years in prison. After his release, he returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister by President Félix Tshisekedi in 2023. He currently serves as the Minister of Transport.
The two Airbus A319 are located at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and are relatively newer. They were previously operated by White Airways under an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) lease but were grounded when the airline suspended its operations.
Editor en Aviacionline. Especializado en Aviación Comercial / Aviación en Argentina. 45 años de periodista, y contando.
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