Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) aircraft linked with a U.S. government contractor were reportedly found to have transported drones, weapons and mercenaries for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to United Nations experts.
Boeing Aircraft Found By UN
According to a report by Reuters on Wednesday, Boeing 727 aircraft linked to Steven Shaulis, a U.S. government contractor, appeared in Chad during November 2024, operating out of the military apron of N’Djamena’s airport, a soon-to-be-published U.N. report cited in the article said.
Read Also: Elon Musk's Starlink Satellite Dishes Serve Vital Role In Sudan Amid Conflict And Connectivity Woes
Boeing and the White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
Two aircraft were reportedly acquired by Shaulis-owned Contractor Airways based in South Africa from Kalitta Charters II, a Michigan-based cargo operator and one from Brazil, the report said. It added that the planes did not log movement since arriving in Chad, which Kalitta lawyers cited in the report said could be to “avoid detection.”
“The RSF utilized the N’Djamena-Nyala air corridor to transport fighters, foreign mercenaries, and military equipment, including drones and weapons, into Darfur,” the U.N. report said. Chad’s aviation authorities said the aircraft did not have authorization to operate.
Shaulis is a former U.S. military veteran and serves as an executive director and co-founder of Singapore-based CADG, which has earned over $419 million from taxpayers in the U.S. via government contracts, according to a Reuters report from July 15. Shaulis was also linked to a 737 aircraft that was destroyed last year and was reportedly carrying personnel from the RSF, the report said.
Sudan has been under civil war since 2023 as the internationally recognized government has clashed with the RSF for control over the country. U.N. experts have accused the RSF of committing genocide in the country’s Darfur region.
Boeing’s Government Contracts
Boeing’s defense arm has been tasked with manufacturing the updated Air Force One aircraft fleet for the government, with the CEO Steve Parker confirming that the fleet would be delivered by 2028, but also warned of higher costs for its investors.
The fleet has been in focus since President Donald Trump opted to fly in the $400 million Qatar-gifted Boeing 747, much to the criticism of Democratic lawmakers like Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA). On the other hand, Boeing was also earlier awarded contracts totaling $244 billion in 2025 by the government last year.
Read Also: Boeing Eyes Cost Savings with New 787 Fuel-Efficiency Tests
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
