SAA A330 LEASE
Johannesburg – South African Airways is to lease six Airbus A330-200 series widebody aircraft in a deal concluded with American-based lessor, Aircastle. The six aircraft will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 772B engines and are scheduled to be delivered during 2011. The aircraft will replace the carrier’s fleet of Airbus A340-200 aircraft that will be retired following the end of the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament.
ASTRAL FLEET RENEWAL
Seattle – Reunion’s Astral Airlines has placed an order with Boeing for two next generation B737-800s which will be used to replace the carrier’s existing two earlier model B737s. Meanwhile, Air Austral has firmed up its recently announced order for a pair of Airbus A380s for operation on La Réunion- Paris route. The aircraft will be delivered in a single-class configuration.
UNITED AVIATION EXPANSION
Tripoli – Specialist corporate airline, United Aviation, has taken delivery of a new Bombardier 850 corporate jet.
ANGOLAN PARTNERSHIP
Luanda – SonAir has selected Atlas Air to partner it in operating the Angolan carrier’s Houston – Luanda charters, operated on behalf of the US-Africa Energy Association (USAEA). Flights will be operated using two customised Boeing 747-400s provided by SonAir’s parent company. The aircraft are being configured to mostly all-business class layout.
INTERLINK DELAY
Pretoria – Interlink Airlines delayed the start of scheduled services from Pretoria’s Wonderboom Airport to late November after a leasing deal for two BAE146s fell though at the last minute. The carrier has since secured other aircraft.
RESUMING OPERATIONS
Freetown – Defunct Sierra Leone-based Bellview Airlines will again resume operations with a single Boeing 767-300 after ceasing operations last year. No date for the resumption has yet been announced.
AIR NAMIBIA EXPANSION
Windhoek – Air Namibia has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan which it hopes will result in significant growth to the ailing carrier. The airline has leased a single Boeing 737-800
(see photo above) from XL Airways which will be used to launch thrice weekly direct flights linking Johannesburg with Accra. The frequency is set to increase to five flights per week soon and this will place pressure on SAA that currently offers no direct flights to the Ghanaian capital.
B737NG DELIVERED
Johannesburg – British Airways Comair is to introduce the Boeing 737-800 to its fleet. The first aircraft, leased form Dutch carrier, Transavia, was delivered to Johannesburg recently. The carrier has also reportedly secured slots for an undetermined number of brand new Boeing 737-800s from manufacturer Boeing delivery beginning almost immediately.
DASH 8 DELIVERY
Libreville – Nouvelle Air Affaires Gabon has taken delivery of a Bombardier Dash 8-300.
ALGERIAN BOEINGS
Algiers – Air Algerie has ordered seven winglet-equipped Boeing 737-800s to supplement its current fleet of 10 B737-800s, five B737-600s and three B767-300s.
ORDER CONFIRMED
Addis Ababa – Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed its order with Boeing for five B777- 200LRs with GE90-115B engines for delivery starting in late 2010. The airline also confirmed its order for 12 Airbus A350-900s which will have Rolls Royce Trent engines
AVIENT LEASE
Harare – Avient has leased a single MD-11 freighter from California based Sky Holding.
ZIMBABWEAN START-UP
Harare – Vicfalls Airways is a newly-established Zimbabwean-based carrier which was expected to have begun operations last month with a Boeing 767-300ER and Boeing 737. The carrier will reportedly serve regional and international destinations including London and Dubai.
SAM AIR
Ouagadougou – SAM Air is a newly established Mali-based carrier that plans to start scheduled services with a single Boeing 737-200.
LIBYAN NEWCOMER
Tripoli – Alajnihah Airways is a new Libyan-based start-up carrier that plans to begin services soon with a single Airbus A320 narrow body airliner.
THAI RETURNS
Bangkok – Thai Airways is said to be again resuming services to Johannesburg in early 2010 with Boeing 777-300 equipment. This will be the carrier’s third attempt at starting schedules to SA, having twice before cancelled their services after a short period of flights.
TEDDY AIR
Addis Ababa – Teddy Air Transport has been licenced by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority to operate non-scheduled passenger and cargo services. Little more is known about this new carrier and its operations.
EGYPTIAN SUBSIDIARY
Cairo – Air Arabia Egypt is a new subsidiary of Sharjah-based low cost carrier Air Arabia. The carrier, a joint venture between the airline and the Travco Group, the largest travel and hospitality group in Egypt, will serve regional destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
BAY AIR EXPANSION
Windhoek – Bay Air of Namibia is reportedly planning to add three Embraer 135 regional jets to its fleet ahead of launching scheduled services from Namibia to South Africa.
BENIN START-UP
Cotonou – A new start-up passenger airline in Benin is Africa Airways that has started services with a single B737-200 leased from a South African company.
UGANDAN HARBINS
Kampala – Uganda Air Cargo will start scheduled passenger services after having acquired two Chinese manufactured Harbin Y12 aircraft. To date the carrier has only operated a single L100-30 Hercules in its fleet.
ASKY AIRLINES
Lomé – Newcomer ASky Airlines will start scheduled services with two Boeing 737- 700s in a leasing agreement with Ethiopian Airlines, which is assisting the West African carrier with its start-up.
B737NG LEASE
Johannesburg – Low cost carrier Kulula.com has taken delivery of the first of three Boeing 737-800s it is leasing from Dutch carrier Transavia. The airline leased the aircraft to add additional capacity to its fleet over the summer holiday period and in anticipation of the delivery of several new B737-800s prior to the FIFA Soccer World Cup this year.
HIGHEST TIME
Nairobi – Kenya Airways achieved the‘highest time on wing’ for a CF6-80C2 turbofan engine in Africa, namely in excess of 35 000 flight hours and 6 400 cycles.
NIGERIAN B757
Lagos – Nigeria’s Kabo Air is wet-leasing a winglet-equipped Boeing 757-200 from Icelandair. The aircraft is being used on the carrier’s international services including to Dubai.
ETHIOPIAN APPROVAL
Nairobi – Kenya’s Aberdair Aviation has been granted an Air Operators Certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority of Ethiopia allowing it to operate non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights within that country.The carrier operates a fleet of three Embraer Bandeirantes, two Aero Commander 680s and one each Bell 206B JetRanger and Bell 407 helicopter.
ANGOLAN Q400S
Luanda – Angolan oil support specialist, Heli-Malongo, will reportedly take delivery of up to six Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft in the near future. The company is also expanding its helicopter fleet from 17 to 25, with the delivery of the carrier’s first Sikorsky S-76C++ models.
OROMIA AIRWAYS
Addis Ababa – Oromia Airways is an Ethiopian based new start-up carrier that plans to begin scheduled services to domestic and regional destinations as well as services linking Uganda with Djibouti, Khartoum and Nairobi. The airline will operate from two hubs in Ethiopia – Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa – with two as yet unidentified aircraft types.
SERVICES TO START
Melbourne – V Australia will start twice weekly scheduled services linking Melbourne with Johannesburg. Services will begin in mid-March using Boeing 777- 300ER equipment.
AIRLINER DAMAGED
Valletta, Malta – A Libyan Arab airliner was damaged here recenetly when an airport van crashed into its nose causing minor damage. The aircraft was grounded pending an inspection and its passengers were transferred to an Air Malta flight to Tripoli.
