The Airplane Could Not Have Been Hijacked by the Pilots, This is a Planned Deal: Hakob Jagharyan

The dissolution of the current aviation authorities is already imperative. This was stated by former advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia and aviator Hakob Jagharyan on his Facebook page, addressing the legal aspects of a Boeing 737 aircraft’s situation in Iran.

“Was it a hijacking, a fraud, or professional incompetence? In previous posts, I addressed the technical issues surrounding the Armenian-registered Boeing 737 that was supposed to fly from Tallinn with permission to land in Ukrainian ‘Antonov’ (Hostomel) but ended up being in Tehran, about 2500 kilometers away from its intended destination. Today, I will conclude my analysis of this murky story, focusing on the legal aspects of what transpired.”

“It is the responsibility of the aviation authorities of any country to ensure 1. Flight Safety, 2. Aviation Security, 3. Airworthiness Certification, and 4. Regulation of airports and aeronautical services... (these pertain to our issue) - regulation, implementation of regulations, and oversight.”

“In the second part of the RA Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) charter, under ‘CAC Objectives and Responsibilities’ (paragraphs 2,4,8,10), and in the third part, ‘CAC Functions’ (paragraphs 3,4,5), the requirement for fulfilling these responsibilities is reflected. However, as repeatedly stated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in its February 2020 audit, these issues are not being carried out. They are not carried out because the institutional framework has been dismantled in just two years.”

A part of the audit report states: "... the old system no longer exists (before the ‘revolution’), nothing new has been created, the CAC lacks a clear structure and a precise understanding of its duties, and the CAC lacks a clear understanding of the necessary workforce..."

“Consequently, the choice made by Armenia is not random, it is evidently a well-organized fraud. The system for fulfilling the main aviation issues is fundamentally damaged. My clear systematic regulatory concept, the result of collaborative work by experienced specialists, has not been adopted. Warnings have been ignored, as have attempts made by me and the CAC deputy chairman to prevent the ‘hijacking’ of the aircraft, and the criminal case initiated regarding this matter, along with the suggestions from experts in the field... nothing has been acknowledged.”

“I repeat, I submitted a report to Prime Minister Pashinyan regarding this scenario in October 2019. Was this incident foreseeable? YES. Could it have happened if the aviation authorities operated under a regulated system? I am confident the answer is NO. The pilots could not have hijacked the aircraft. This is a planned deal. Whether CAC leaders are participants of this deal or merely static observers, I don’t know. I cannot assert they were blinded by profit-making selfishness. But I cannot claim the opposite either.”

“Because with so many alerts and reports made at the highest level, after allowing an allegedly ‘unfit’ aircraft to leave Romania shortly after its flight status in Iran was acknowledged, this indifferent and helpless behavior raises suspicion with me. To put it plainly, I would not be surprised if a profit motive were ever revealed in this case.”

“Was this an order from above, an agreement, or simply a lack of professional qualifications? I cannot say. These questions must be answered by the investigation taking place within the context of the criminal case initiated. One thing is clear: had the Armenian aviation authorities fulfilled their internationally assumed obligations, this disgrace WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.”

“What will be the conclusion of this story? Iran will not release the airplane. Because the Iranian owner did not hijack it. Rather, they probably purchased it from the ‘tithernik’ company, which dissolved immediately after receiving the funds. This company also used the Armenian registration. There is a second option: I do not exclude that friendly Iran may return the aircraft to Armenia. And later, it may be returned under another registration. Just as we prevented such a deal in July 2019. Back then, the aircraft was supposed to supposedly go to Oman over Iran. And certainly there would be an ‘oil problem,’ or some other ‘technical’ reason as it neared Tehran. Eventually, the A-310 did go, but with Tajik registration. This freed Armenia from allegations of being a party to an illegal transaction. I do not know. But the dissolution of the current aviation authorities is already imperative. And it is a disgrace for our country to have such a regulatory body in one of the world’s most organized sectors: AVIATION. This is the political assessment. Stay tuned for ‘Official Information,’ my proud compatriots.”