The Russian cargo aircraft that departed from Cape Town International Airport on Friday night, which got tongues wagging over what it was doing in South Africa, is one of the aircraft leased to Antarctica research stations for flying passengers and logistics.
News24 could establish from aviation sources that the aircraft did not upload any suspicious cargo and that, apart from equipment used for Antarctica operations, it departed empty.
The aircraft flew across Africa to Cairo in Egypt, from where it was suspected to depart on Saturday night to Russia.