Madagascar Fires Transport Minister Over Iran Jet Scandal

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has dismissed Transport and Meteorology Minister Valéry Ramonjavelo over a scandal involving five Malagasy-registered Boeing 777-200ERs that were transferred to Iran, reportedly violating international sanctions.

A presidential decree issued on July 29 did not specify reasons for the termination, but Prime Minister Christian Ntsay has been appointed interim minister. According to local media Midi-Madagasikara, Ramonjavelo allegedly approved temporary aircraft registrations for a mysterious startup, UDAAN Aviation, without presidential or prime ministerial consultation.

The five aircraft, previously based in Cambodia, were ferried from Siem Reap to Iran on July 15, 2025. Though not confirmed, reports suggest they were headed to Mahan Air, a sanctioned Iranian carrier. The aircraft bore expired provisional registrations from Madagascar: 5R-RIS, 5R-ISA, 5R-HER, 5R-IJA, and 5R-RIJ.

Madagascar’s Civil Aviation Authority (ACM) stated the jets were only cleared for transfer to Kenya for maintenance and had remained in China during the registration period. ACM confirmed the documents used post-April 17, 2025, were invalid, calling their usage an “attempted forgery.”

The incident has triggered political and diplomatic backlash, raising concerns about compliance with global aviation regulations and sanctions enforcement.

UDAAN Aviation is reportedly linked to Udaan Potentials Ltd, a Malagasy SARL registered in June 2023. The company lists air transport, MRO services, agricultural imports, and spice exports among its activities.

The scandal underscores the growing scrutiny of aircraft movements and registration practices amid tightening international aviation and sanction compliance rules.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com