New Malawi-Registered Il-76 Emerges on Route from Libya to the UAE
A previously unknown Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft has surfaced on flight-tracking websites, raising fresh questions about the use of Malawi’s aircraft register by operators linked to the United Arab Emirates.
On Friday, June 26, 2026, an Il-76 carrying the registration 7Q-VAA was observed on Flightradar24 for the first time. The aircraft appeared to operate a flight from what was likely Benghazi, Libya, to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The freighter used the ICAO hex code 058084 and the callsign FLQ4011. Flightradar24 associates the code with Flight Logic, an airline believed to be based in Malawi. The company’s website mentions “Flight Logics” as the name and claims that it operates an Il-76 freighter. https://flightlogics.aero/#fleet
However, Flight Logic’s background raises questions. The airline’s website existed for several years with virtually no information and only recently began displaying details about its fleet and operations. This has led to speculation that the carrier may be little more than a paper airline.
Malawi’s aircraft register has previously been used by several Il-76 operators flying on behalf of the UAE government. These aircraft have reportedly transported military cargo linked to operations involving armed groups in Libya, South Sudan, and the Ethiopian government.
Determining the aircraft’s previous identity is likely to prove difficult. One possible candidate is Il-76 UR-BXQ. The aircraft formerly operated for Maximus Air Cargo and had been stored in Ukraine for several years before flying to Fujairah on May 26, 2026, under flight number MXM3701. Since then, it has not been observed flying again—at least not under its previously known hex code.
On June 29 the aircraft flew from Fujairah to Al Ain as FLQ4021. On July 2 the aircraft flew from Al Ain to Fujairah as FLQ4021.
The sudden appearance of 7Q-VAA therefore adds another layer of mystery to the shadowy world of Il-76 cargo operations and the increasingly prominent role of Malawi registrations in these networks.
