Unusual Ukrainian Cargo Flights from Paris to Libya

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the best place to post this but happy to hear feedback, but I figured some people on these forums would be able to find more info than I could.

Essentially I spotted a Ukrainian cargo plane, and Antonov An-12, making some unusual flights, apparently from France, towards Libya:
www.flightradar24.com...

The aircraft only seems to turn on it's transponder whilst over land (Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily) and only a little while after take-off so it's very difficult to work out were it is coming from and going. But it seems to have made two flights from France near Paris to Libya, one yesterday and another today. Does anyone else find this unusual or is this pretty everyday stuff? I had no idea.

Looking forward to hearing you thought!

Aid, including supporting charaties and NGOs in situ. Some people will think this is some shady op, but more likely the most plausible explanation is aid. Is this really as unusual as you suggest?

For example Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

a reply to: paraphi

Well I did ask... I don't know whether this is unusual or not, just something I spotted and thought I'd post here for thoughts. I guess I did put it in the title :-P

That said, most aircraft in the area still have their transponders turned on.

I first started hearing the AN-12's about a year ago as they have a very distinctive sound - confirmed after a while by checking Flightradar.

Backtracking them seemed to show them originating from North Africa where they'd suddenly pop up in the middle of nowhere, although no origin or destination information was displayed, as you'd expect to see on other commercial / cargo flights. The flights also seemed to "disappear" again as they approached the Midlands (UK), which again seemed unusual as most other flights can be tracked all the way down to the landing point.

Might be nothing in it, but the lack of origin / destination flight plan info, coupled with the inability to track to a final destination does seem a bit weird.

a reply to: Britguy

Another flight today, originating either in Libya or Tunisia and landing in Leipzig. Only turned the transponder on twice, once overflying Tunis and then from the french coast until landing.

originally posted by: paraphi
Aid, including supporting charaties and NGOs in situ. Some people will think this is some shady op, but more likely the most plausible explanation is aid. Is this really as unusual as you suggest?

For example Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

From what I've read in the last year or so it seems many of these NGOs don't seem to quite who they purport to be, or, they do other things on the side.

a reply to: gfad

Unusual Ukrainian Cargo Flights from Paris to Libya

Was it?

Antonov to sell world’s largest cargo plane to Libya

Ukraine will shortly provide Libya with another of the world’s largest cargo planes in the framework of a bilateral trade deal, Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov said. The plane, an Antonov AN-124-100 capable of carrying around 130 tonnes of freight, is the second of its kind to be sold to Libya by the company since August last year, AFP quoted an Antonov spokesman said as saying.

neurope.eu...

Might not be as unusual as you think.