FleetWatch

Airlines Resuming Operations: Air Tanzania makes another comeback

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:13:19 GMT

The carrier, in which the Tanzanian government holds a majority shareholding, has been grounded since March 2011 when its only airworthy aircraft, Bombardier DHC-8-300Q (reg 5H-MWF, serial 474) went for heavy maintenance. The inaugural service for the relaunch was operated by the same aircraft on 1 November 2011, from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma and Tabora. The company's managing director and chief executive was quoted at the relaunch press conference as saying that four more aircraft would be acquired in the next few months through "lease purchase arrangements" and apparently with funding from the government.

Air Tanzania's AOC was previously suspended by the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority on 1 March 2010, after its only jet aircraft, a Boeing 737-200, suffered an undercarriage collapse. The airline was subsequently allowed to resume domestic services with its one airworthy DHC-8, until it went for maintenance last March. Air Tanzania is believed to have had a second DHC-8-311Q (reg 5H-MWG, serial 462) in storage for some years.

Given its troubled recent history, Air Tanzania's return to the skies will have come as a surprise to those commentators that expected the country's leading airline, privately owned Precision Air (which is affiliated to Kenya Airways) and the second-ranked carrier, the multinational, Lonrho-backed, newcomer Fly540, to effectively take over the erstwhile flag carrier's limited route network in the aftermath of the most recent grounding.

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Fleet Plan News: Sriwijaya Air to acquire 737-500s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:30:38 GMT

The fast-growing Indonesian carrier intends to lease up to 12 Boeing 737-500s from April 2012, as interim lift, pending the arrival of its first Next Generation 737-800s. The airline began modernising its all Boeing 737-200 fleet with the arrival of the first Boeing 737-300 in July 2007. The carrier still has 14 737-200s, together with 12 737-300s and 6 737-400s. Fleet expansion plans have really taken off since April 2010, when it announced negotiations with Boeing for up to 20 Boeing 737-800s. Although it reported signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2010, covering firm orders for 10 737-800s and options for a further 10, Boeing has never listed the order. Sriwijaya had however stated its intention to "lease purchase" the 737-800s, and although it may be entirely coincidental, the only announced order for this number of 737-800s since that date by a lessor was from AerCap, in December 2010. Although it had hoped to receive its first 737-800s in 2012, Sriwijaya, like AerCap, is now expecting its first aircraft in 2014. In June 2011 the airline also converted an earlier Letter of Intent (LoI) with Embraer into a firm order for 20 ERJ-190-100LRs. The ERJ’s are scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2015. While continuing to expand domestically, Sriwijaya is looking to use new equipment and the 737-800s in particular to expand its international network, with new destinations planned in Australia and China.

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Airline Start-Ups: EasySky to Launch Next Week

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:39:43 GMT

The new Honduran low cost carrier, established with British investment after acquiring Central American Airways, is planning to launch domestic services on 5 September 2011. Easy Sky will initially offer twice daily flights from its La Ceiba base to the island of Roatan, but it plans to serve both of the other airports in Honduras, connecting the capital, Tegucigalpa with both Roatan and San Pedro Sula from December 2011. Flights will be short with domestic sectors, taking between 15 and 45 minutes. EasyFly plans to launch international services to other Central American countries in 2012. Weekly services linking Fort Lauderdale with both Roatan and San Pedro Sula are planned in conjunction with an unnamed US carrier. The airline is also reported to have sold 800,000 seats to a group of hotels on Roatan. Initial equipment is a single, former Rollins Air, Boeing 737-200 (reg HR-AVR, serial 23104), although the carrier plans to acquire up to three Boeing 737-800s. Contact details so far are limited:

EasySky
Tel: +504-2445-0537
web: http://www.easysky.hn (not yet available)

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Airline Start-Ups: LeadAir to become El Al's new charter arm

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:55:55 GMT

Following the closure of El Al Israel Airlines' wholly-owned charter subsidiary, Sun D'or International, on 1 April 2011, the company's replacement as the flag carrier's de facto charter arm is an existing start-up airline, LeadAir, which was founded in 2009 and received its AOC in June 2010, but is yet to launch commercial operations. The company is initially planning to operate one Boeing 767-200EM, which is likley to be transferred from the El Al fleet, and two Boeing 737-300s. Contact details are:

LeadAir
Golan House
P.O. Box: 100
Airport City 70150
Lod
Tel Aviv
Israel

Tel: +972 3 767 0000
Fax: +972 3 767 0009

Email: info@leadair.co.il
Web: http://www.leadair.co.il (under construction)

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Fleet Plan News: TAAG Angola's first 777-300ER is imminent

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:43:10 GMT

The Angolan flag carrier's first Boeing 777-300ER (reg D2-TEG, serial 40805) flew for the first time on 19 May 2011, and is expected to be delivered in June 2011. The aircraft is the first of two on order from the manufacturer, with the second (reg D2-TEH, serial 40806) scheduled for delivery before the end of 2011. TAAG Angola operates an all Boeing fleet, comprising three 777-200ERs, two 747-300PCs and seven 737s, made up of four 737-700s and three 737-200s (one of which was converted to a freighter configuration in 2009).

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Airlines Suspending Operations: Afghan auhtorities suspend Pamir Airways

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:20:08 GMT

As part of an investigation into corruption at the Kabul Bank, the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority indefinitely suspended the operating licence of Pamir Airways on 19 March 2011. The Kabul-based airline has been operating scheduled domestic and international passenger services, plus charter flights since 1995. At the time of the suspension the fleet consisted of three Boeing 737-400s, one 737-200 and two Antonov An-24RVs. After falling into financial difficulties, the company was taken over in 2008 by a group of businessmen including Sherkhan Farnood, the airline's chairman. Mr.Farnood was also a shareholder and the chairman of Kabul Bank, and it is alleged that he used his position to grant loans which facilitated the expansion of the airline. The Boeing 737-400s arrived after the airline received the new funding. Kabul Bank has been under investigation since last year after the Afghanistan central bank was required to step in to provide emergency funds and take over its operations.

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Airlines Resuming Services: Aviacsa

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:34:18 GMT

The privately-owned Mexican domestic carrier is currently in the process of applying to restart operations with a much-reduced initial fleet of three Boeing 737-200s. Aviacsa suspended operations in July 2009 and entered bankruptcy protection the following November. Following the reported investment of 400 million pesos (US$ 33.3 million / EUR 24.4 million) by holding company Grupo Madero, the airline met a 14 January 2011 deadline set by the federal government for the renegotiation of its debts. Three test flights between Mexico City and Acapulco were also successfully completed last month. Once it has received court approval to exit bankruptcy protection, Aviacsa is expected to resume domestic services, possibly as early as next month (March 2011). Aviacsa aims to have recaptured 5% of the domestic market by the end of 2011 and 10% over the next three years. Rivals Aeromexico and VivaAerobus have strengthened their positions in this market in absence of both Aviacsa and Mexicana.

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Airline Start-Ups: Djibouti Air

Fleetwatch Administrator — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:20:21 GMT

The new national flag carrier for Djibouti is planning to launch services between Djibouti City and Dubai on 22 February 2011, using an as yet unidentified Boeing 737-200. The airline is a joint-venture between the Djibouti Government and the Dubai-based real estate and construction concern, the Lootah Group. The Group's chairman, Ebrahim Saeed Lootah, is reported to be the majority shareholder in the new carrier. Djibouti Air is also planning to acquire a Boeing 737-300 and to serve destinations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. The Djibouti civil aviation authority (DACM) revoked the Certificate of Air Transportation (CTA) from Djibouti Air's predecessor, Djibouti Airlines on 30 July 2009. Contact details are:

Djibouti Air,
Corniche,
Boulevard George Pompidou,
P.O. BOX 2522,
Djibouti,
Republic of Djibouti

Tel: +253 34 48 48
Fax: +253 34 47 47

Web: http://djibouti-air.com

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Airlines Resuming Services: Chanchangi Airlines airborne again using wet-leased 737s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:57:20 GMT

The Nigerian domestic and regional carrier has been grounded on several occasions by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), most recently on 6 July 2010. It is believed that services were briefly resumed in mid-August after the return of a Boeing 737-200 (reg 5N-BIH, serial 23046) from overhaul in China. This allowed Chanchangi to meet the NCAA's minimum fleet requirement of two operational aircraft. However, just days later, on 22 August 2010, their other active 737-200 (reg 5N-BIF, serial 23043) was grounded after being damaged in a hard landing at Kaduna and the airline was again forced to suspend operations. However, on 21 October 2010 Chanchangi Airlines resumed services once again, this time using two Boeing 737-300s wet-leased from Jordan Aviation.

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Fleet Plan News: Northern Air Cargo receives first Boeing 737-300 converted freighter

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:58:44 GMT

The Anchorage-based cargo specialist took delivery of the Boeing 737-301(SF) (reg N360WA, serial 23553) on completion of its cargo conversion in Miami. The aircraft is reported to be on a 24-month lease from Jet Partners LLC. Northern Air Cargo, also known as NAC, already operates four Boeing 737-200(F) converted freighters.

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Fleet Plan News: Sriwijaya Air plans new 737 Next Generation and commuter fleets

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:27:41 GMT

The privately-owned Indonesian carrier which serves an extensive network across Indonesia, in addition to
international services to Davao and Penang, has announced that it will place a firm order with Boeing for
ten 162-seat Boeing 737-800s on 12 October 2010. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2012. This order
heralds the dramatic modernisation of a fleet which, until July 2007, was still entirely made up of Boeing
737-200s. While the JT8D-powered model is still the most numerous type in the 28 strong fleet, Sriwijaya
has added CFM56-powered 737 Classics (8 737-300s and 6 737-400s) over the last three years.
Local press reports quote an airline spokesman as saying that Sriwijaya also plans to buy 60 commuter
aircraft by 2012 for use on domestic services to remote airports. If Sriwijaya's apparent intention to buy
the commuter fleet is accurately reported, the 2012 timescale would rule out a single-type commuter fleet made
up entirely of new-build aircraft, unless perhaps a mixed fleet of used examples were leased from the winning
manufacturer(s) as an interim measure. The spokesman was quoted as saying that offers relating to the commuter
fleet had "already been received from ATR, Avro RJ, Bombardier and Embraer".

Airlines Suspending Operations: ConViasa temporarily ceases flying

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:59:54 GMT

The Venezuelan flag carrier suspended all commercial operations on 17 September 2010, the day after a company Boeing 737-200 (reg YV-2559, serial 23097) made an emergency landing back at Caracas with engine problems and three days after the tragic loss of an ATR42-320 (YV-1010, serial 0371) on the approach to Puerto Ordaz. The airline is apparently conducting a technical audit of its operations, which presumably means a safety review. It has already indicated, before the results are known, that it intends to resume services on 1 October 2010. Aircraft are being chartered from other carriers to operate ConViasa services during the suspension.

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Airlines Suspending Operations: Nigerian carrier Chanchangi Airlines grounded

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:28:41 GMT

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounded the Kaduna-based domestic carrier on 5 July 2010 after the airline’s only airworthy aircraft developed engine problems for the second time in less than a month. The aircraft in question, a 27-year old Boeing 737-200 (reg 5N-BIF, serial 23043) had recently returned to service after engine repairs following a bird strike on take-off from Lagos on 10 June 2010, which had forced the airline to temporarily suspend operations. The aircraft was fully loaded and about to taxi for a domestic flight from Lagos on 5 July when further engine problems developed. Chanchangi had reportedly been operating a single aircraft for some time, after sending four other 737s abroad for heavy checks which it was subsequently struggling to pay for. The reason given by the NCAA for the grounding was that airlines must have at least two operational aircraft, thereby allowing the second to serve as a back-up if required. It remains to be seen whether Chanchangi Airlines can acquire the financing required to make yet another comeback.

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