HiFly
Beja.

The Persian Leopard,
at 275 tons.

July 2022. The Portuguese Air Force celebrated its 70th anniversary at Beja Air Base, and HiFly brought one of the largest aircraft in commercial service to the display line.

An Airbus A340-313 (registration 9H-TQZ, MTOW 275 tons, range 7,000 nautical miles) flew two display routines on consecutive days, both at 12:15 local. The routine included maximum-performance climbs, steep turns, slow flight, and two high-speed passes in formation with a pair of Portuguese F-16s. Commander Carlos Mirpuri at the controls, with Captains Antonios Efthymiou and Peter Holemans in the cockpit.

Two days. Two display flights. One A340 carrying the Persian Leopard. // Beja, July 2022

The aircraft wore a special livery for the display: Kiamaky, a Persian Leopard supported by the Mirpuri Foundation. The work supports the reintroduction of the species into its natural habitat in the Caucasus, in partnership with the Lisbon Zoo.