Shell's Falcon 7X lands in Basra as Gulf oil exports restart

Shell's aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 7X registered as VQ-BXH, was tracked flying from Farnborough Airport in the UK to Al Mufrash Airport near Basra, Iraq, on June 26, 2026. The 6-hour 29-minute flight arrived just after midday local time, following a day earlier movement from the Netherlands to Farnborough.

If Shell executives were aboard, they would arrive the same week Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings at the giant Ras Tanura terminal after a near four-month halt, as reported by Reuters and Bloomberg. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has allowed tanker movements to resume, though a ship strike on June 26 underscored lingering risks, per the Japan Times. Basra is the hub of Iraq's oil exports, and the timing suggests discussions about restarting production or securing new offtake agreements.

The flight follows a pattern of European shuttles between the UK, Netherlands, and Norway in recent days. Shell has also signed five energy agreements with Venezuela this month, per Energies Media, signaling a broader push to re-engage in oil-producing regions as the post-war Middle East ramps up supply.