Suppose there was a Chinese version of Snowden on that airplane who had on disk everything involving their work...all of the code, all of the manufacturing process....
And this was planned long enough ahead to make the arrangements needed to get the information to Iran via Pak?
That would make it worth the money and effort and explain why renting a beater 747 was not an option.
Certain of the passengers were the objective; not the plane.
But I’m sure that the plane won’t go unused.