Mystery as Dubai PM’s plane lands in Majorca amid Iran missile barrage | World | News
A large plane belonging to UAE prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum surprised residents of the Spanish island of Majorca when it landed at the airport this week. The Boeing 747-400F, purchased in 2010 and bearing no visible markings, landed at Palma Airport on Thursday, March 12, and remained on the tarmac for approximately three hours.
The plane is believed to have stopped for fuel before heading to Miami, Florida. But why the flight was made remains largely a mystery. While no official statement has been made, jumbo jets are frequently used to transport Sheikh Mohammed’s racehorses. So it’s possible the horses are being moved out of concerns for their safety as the UAE city continues to face Iranian missiles and drones amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Sheikh Mohammed, who has been prime minister and vice president of the UAE since 2006 and also serves as Emir (ruler) of Dubai, is well known for his interest in horse racing. He is one of the giants of global horse racing, best known as the founder of the Godolphin racing stable and the Darley stallion operation.
Beyond horses, earlier this year Dubai Holding Group, controlled by Sheikh Mohammed, strengthened its investments in Europe with the purchase of the luxury Jumeirah Port Sóller Hotel & Spa in Mallorca.
Sheikh Mohammed’s fleet of Boeing 747-400 cargo planes is operated primarily under the Royal Dubai Air Wing, the UAE’s specialized aviation unit dedicated to leadership and government missions.
Featuring the iconic nose loading door and a massive side cargo door, the 747-400F can swallow up to 124 tons of cargo, including oversized items such as high-end vehicles, helicopters or industrial equipment. This enormous payload capacity, combined with a transcontinental range of over 4,411 miles (7,100 km), allows the ruler of Dubai to travel around the world in a single flight.
The fleet also undertakes an important philanthropic mission through the International Humanitarian City (IHC). Sheikh Mohammed ordered these planes to be put into service for emergency air transports, such as the 2014 and 2024 humanitarian corridors, to deliver aid to disaster areas and conflict zones. It deployed hundreds of tons of shelter kits and medical supplies to fly cargo ships during the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria in 2023.
At age 24, Sheikh Mohammed led an 80-hour standoff to save the lives of 140 people during the hijacking of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 in Dubai in 1973. As Minister of Defense, he used a mixture of calm diplomacy and psychological pressure to keep hijackers at bay while ensuring passengers received food and air conditioning. Each hostage was eventually released safely.
