SAA FINANCIAL RESULTS
Johannesburg – SAA has announced a net profit of R782-million for the 2010/11 financial year. This is an increase of 77% as compared with last year’s results in spite of continuing difficult market climate and high fuel prices. Group operating profit rose to R807-million – a 66% increase – and turnover increased by 6% to R18-billion.
NEW KENYAN LCC
Nairobi – Jambo Jet is a new low cost subsidiary planned for launch by Kenya Airways for domestic and regional services. It is thought the carrier will use some or all of the 20 Embraer 190 jets (10 firm and 10 options) Kenya Airways has agreed in principle to order from the Brazilian plane-maker.
FLY ME LAUNCHES
Durban – A new Durban-based helicopter services company, Fly Me, has taken delivery of the first of twonew Sikorsky S-76++ helicopters at Virginia Airport. The helicopters will be used to ferry crews to and from oil rigs and super tankers operating off South Africa’s East coast. The service that Fly Me will be providing is essential to the petroleum industry, also relying on these helicopters for vital food and equipment supplies.
ERITREAN LEASE
Asmara – Eritrean carrier, NasAir, has leased a Boeing 737-200 from Georgian Star airlines.
FIRST DASH 8
Cairo – Egyptian carrier Smartair has taken delivery of the first of two Bombardier Dash 8-Q400s.
IATA MEMBERSHIP
Nairobi – ALS, of Kenya, recently achieved IATA membership. The carrier is, meanwhile, operating a single Bombardier Dash 8-100 on behalf of new South Sudan-based Southern Star Air.
KQ GROWTH
Nairobi – Kenya Airways will take delivery of two new Boeing 777- 300ER aircraft in the last quarter of 2012. The aircraft will be leased from GECAS and will be used on new routes to the Far East, India and Dubai. The company has also concluded an agreement to lease two Boeing 747-400 freighters and two B737-400 freighters. It has also ordered four B777Freighters (see also page 61).
SOLE ANTONOV
Khartoum – Alfa Airlines is currently operating what is believed to be the sole remaining civil Antonov An-24 registered in Sudan.
SOUTHERN SUDAN FEEDER
Juba – Vista Georgia has been contracted by new start-up carrier Southern Sudan Feeder Airlines, to operate a single Boeing 737- 300 on scheduled services from the Southern Sudan capital, Juba.
AIRBUS FREIGHTER
Kinshasa – Services Air has acquired an Airbus A310 freighter to increase its cargo capacity.
AIRBUS LEASE
Djibouti – Djibouti’s Daalo Airlines has leased an Airbus A320 from East Air, of Kyrgyzstan, to operate scheduled services to Dubai.
ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT
Kinshasa – Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation is currently expanding its fleet with additional two Airbus A320s and one Fokker 50. It is capitalising on growth opportunities in the wake of the grounding of the Hewa Bora fleet by the DRC’s CAA.
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION
Kinshasa – Following the crash of yet another one of its passenger aircraft, a Boeing 727-100 at Goma, the DRC CAA has temporarily suspended the operating licence of Hewa Bora Airways.
CHARTER CARRIER DISSOLVED
Cairo – Egyptian charter airline, Koral Blue, has ceased operations after the partnership between Tunisia’s Nouvelair and its Egyptian partners was dissolved.
RESTARTED OPERATIONS
Asmara – Eritrean Airlines has resumed services after a period of reorganisation. The carrier has leased a Boeing 767-200 and Airbus A320 to operate scheduled services from the capital Asmara.
SECOND AIRBUS
Windhoek – Air Namibia has acquired a former Air Berlin Airbus A319 as part of a fleet expansion.
SKYBIRD AIR
Lagos – SkyBird Air is a new Nigerian operator that has started operations with a single corporate configured Dornier Do328Jet.
SENEGALESE EXPANSION
Dakar – Senegal Airlines has added a third Airbus A320 to its fleet and will shortly take delivery of its first Airbus A330-200 to operate services to Europe.
POLOKWANE SERVICES
Johannesburg – Velvet Sky will start scheduled services soon to Polokwane. The first of two leased DC-9-32 aircraft have joined the fleet while an additional two Boeing 737- 300s are set to join the fleet before the end of the year.
FREIGHTER CONVERSION
Johannesburg – Airlink has converted one of its fleet of Jetstream 41 turboprop aircraft into a three-ton capacity freighter. The airline is also reported to be interested in acquiring up to eight Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft from UK carrier FlyBe.
DOVE AIR
Khartoum – Sudanese newcomer Dove Air, has started scheduled services with a mixed fleet of aircraft including one each Tupolev Tu-134, Bombardier CRJ200 and two Dash 8s.
WHITE CONTRACT
Praia – TACV Cabo Verde is wet leasing a single Airbus A320 from Portuguese carrier, White.
FIRST MD-83
Nairobi – Kenyan carrier, Phoenix Aviation, has added its first MD-83 to its fleet.
NEW ATR
Johannesburg – Solenta Aviation has added an additional ATR42- 300 freighter to its fleet which will be operated on behalf of DHL.
KENYAN TRIJET
Nairobi – A company known only as the Aerospace Consortium has acquired a Boeing 727-200 freighter for operations in East Africa from its Nairobi base.
ETHIOPIAN CODESHARE
Addis Ababa – Ethiopian Airlines has signed a code share agreement with Korea’s Asiana Airlines, enhancing the growing cooperation with Star Alliance member carriers. The two carriers will cooperate code share flights between Seoul, Hong Kong and Addis Ababa.
MADAGASCAN LEASE
Antatanarivo – Air Madagascar has wet-leased a single Boeing 777-200ER from EuroAtlantic to increase its fleet capacity.
FIRST FOKKER
Kinshasa – Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation (CAA) has added a Fokker 100 to its rapidly growing fleet of aircraft.
