Peru Cancels $63 Million An-74 Aircraft Tender After Russian 'Phantom Plane' Fraud Exposed

Peruvian Ministry of Interior Invalidates Aircraft Procurement

The Peruvian Ministry of the Interior has canceled a $63 million tender for the acquisition of an Antonov An-74 transport aircraft. The decision came after a fraudulent attempt by Russian intermediaries, operating through a UAE-based front company, to sell a non-existent aircraft using falsified documents was exposed. The scheme was brought to light through the joint efforts of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the aircraft manufacturer Antonov State Enterprise.

Details of the Deceptive Scheme

The company at the center of the controversy, Aero Express FZE, based in the UAE and reportedly linked to Russia, had won the tender around November 4, 2025. However, investigations revealed that Aero Express FZE submitted forged credentials claiming authorization from Antonov, the sole legal owner of the An-74's manufacturing license.

Key indicators of the fraud included:

• A crucial authorization document, purportedly from Antonov and dated November 9, 2022, was found to be signed by Sergey Bychkov, who had been dismissed as Antonov's General Manager eight months prior, on March 29, 2022.
• The forged document, while written in Ukrainian, featured a date inscribed in Russian, and lacked standard security features such as a registration number, issue date, barcode, and signatures in blue ink, which are characteristic of official Antonov documents.
• The An-74 offered was a used aircraft, directly violating a tender requirement for a 'new from the factory' or 'new from the warehouse' aircraft no more than two years old.
• Furthermore, the proposed An-74 did not meet the operational requirements of Peruvian aviation authorities for high-altitude airfields.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha publicly stated that 'Russian intermediaries attempted to sell a phantom aircraft using forged documents,' emphasizing the importance of working directly with official manufacturers.

Antonov's Role and Future Procurement

Antonov, the original developer of the An-74, a short take-off and landing transport aircraft from the Soviet era, confirmed that serial production of new An-74s has not occurred for over a decade. This production gap was highlighted as another red flag in the fraudulent attempt.

Following the cancellation of the tender, Peru is reportedly exploring alternative options, with considerations for acquiring additional C-27J Spartan aircraft from Italy. The C-27J Spartan model is already in service with the Peruvian Air Force, utilized for logistical and humanitarian missions across challenging terrains.