Afghanistan’s Kam Air plots renewal as demand creeps back

Afghanistan's Kam Air scoops Hajj contract

Canada's Rise Air takes first ATR42-500

Rise Air (4T, Saskatoon) has taken delivery of its first ATR42-500, building on its existing ATR - Avions de Transport Régional fleet of four ATR42-300s.

Registered in Canada on August 2, 2022, C-FHBX (msn 576) is a 23.7-year-old turboprop formerly operated by Afghanistan's Kam Air (RQ, Kabul). It was ferried from storage at Mönchengladbach to Québec over July 22-23, 2022, and was subsequently, following its registration in Canada, repositioned to Bangor on August 6.

Chief Executive Derek Nice told ch-aviation that the airline would disclose plans for the new aircraft in September 2022.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that Rise Air operates four ATR42-300s, three DHC-6-300s, four DHC-6-200s, one DHC-6-100, two Saab 340Bs, and one Saab 340A(QC). It also has a fleet of smaller aircraft, including four Beech 1900Ds, nine Beech (twin turboprop) King Airs, two DHC-2s, three Piper (twin piston) PA-31s, and one Bell 205 helicopter. The airline operates scheduled and charter flights around...

Romania's Legend Airlines takes first A340

Legend Airlines (Romania) (LAL, Bucharest Henri Coanda) took delivery of its first A340-300, YR-LRC (msn 844), registering it in Romania on July 22, 2022.

The 15.2-year-old ex-Air Belgium (KF, Brussels Charleroi) quadjet is currently undergoing pre-delivery maintenance at Amman Queen Alia and has yet to be ferried to Romania. Legend Airlines plans to add another ex-Air Belgium A340-300, F-WTAJ (msn 921) which will become YR-LRB, later this year. Both aircraft are owned by Airbus Financial Services.

The start-up remains tight-lipped about its business plan and has only revealed that it is planning to operate "direct long-haul services from Romania", without specifying any destinations or whether the flights will be scheduled or charter. Legend Airlines certified in September 2021, but its AOC has until recently included only a single Cessna (single piston) C172. According to BoardinPass.ro, corporate records show the airline is currently co-owned by one Ramin Youresh (55% stake) and one Timor Shah Shahab (45%), both of whom are executive managers at Afghanistan's Kam Air (RQ, Kabul...

Malta's Airhub Aviation eyes fleet expansion by summer 2022

Continuously looking to expand its fleet, Airhub Airlines (RE, Malta International) will add 11 aircraft, including three to be converted into freighters, by summer 2022, the Malta-based ACMI/charter specialist announced.

“We expect to have three additional A340s in Zero LOPA configuration (aircraft interiors removed), two A330s, and six B737-800s, by summer 2022. The configuration of the A330 will depend on the market dynamics,” Vice President (Commercial) Husam Kharoufah said in a statement.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, one of the A340-300s to be delivered will be YA-KME (msn 318) from Kam Air (RQ, Kabul), currently in maintenance at Amman Queen Alia.

The fleet expansion follows the inception of the company’s second A340-300, 9H-HOP (msn 938), in November. The aircraft has been converted from passenger configuration to a freighter for deployment on long-haul cargo routes between Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The converted aircraft has a maximum volume capacity of 250 m3 subject to a density and maximum cargo weight of 56 tonnes.

“The...