Skyward International planning to add first Fokker 100

Kenya's Skyward Express inducts first Fokker 70

Skyward Express (OW, Nairobi Wilson) has taken delivery of its first F70, according to ch-aviation research.

5Y-SKX (msn 11536) is currently in maintenance at Nairobi Wilson, after having arrived on September 23 from Woensdrecht (The Netherlands), via Luxembourg, Heraklion (Greece) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), according to ADS-B data. The 80-seater Fokker Aircraft was previously operated by Cyprus's TUS Airways (U8, Larnaca) as 5B-DDB and was/is owned by Jet Midwest, ch-aviation fleets advanced data reveals.

The Kenyan carrier was not immediately available for comment.

Skyward Express owns a fleet of five other aircraft, including two F50s, one F100, one DHC-8-100, and one DHC-8-300, operating domestic flights from Nairobi Wilson to Eldoret, Kakamega, Lamu, Lodwar, Malindi, Mombasa, and Ukunda, the ch-aviation schedules module shows.

As reported, the F100, 5Y-SKE (msn 11416), is seconded to its virtual airline subsidiary, Premier Airlines (Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta), which also charters another F70,...

Kenyan parliament flags concerns over Skyward Express

Kenyan lawmakers have petitioned the country's National Assembly to ensure that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) conducts urgent safety inspections on all aircraft operated by Skyward Express (OW, Nairobi Wilson) and certifies mandatory and regular maintenance of the airline's fleet, according to a parliamentary statement.

ch-aviation has approached Skyward Express for comment.

In an emailed statement, KCAA spokesman Salim Ali Bakari said: "We have an appointment with the parliamentary committee where we shall make our official position known". Asked if he could confirm any of the concerns, he said: "That would be pre-empting our report".

The petition brought by Loima Member of Parliament Protus Akujah on October 18, supported by Endebess MP Robert Pukose, flagged concerns about alleged incidents reported by passengers, such as landing gear mishaps, unusual sounds from engines and aircraft parts during flights, and smoke from the wings. The petitioners also expressed concern about alleged high ticket prices charged by the airline in comparison to other carriers on similar routes. Akujah said efforts to have the KCAA address these issues...

Kenya's Skyward Express inducts first Fokker 100

Kenya set to auction off 73 derelict aircraft

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has announced the public auction later this month of 73 derelict aircraft abandoned at various airports around the country.

The auction dates will be as follows:

• 1000L (0700Z) on November 17 at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta;
• 1430L (1130Z) on November 17 at Nairobi Wilson;
• 1000L (0700Z) on November 19 at Mombasa;
• 1000L (0700Z) on November 22 at Lokichoggio.

The aircraft, which can be viewed at the airports during working hours between November 4 and 16, are listed as (with their reserve price in Kenyan Shillings and US Dollars):

At Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta:

• An-24; 3C-ZZA - Somali Air Force - KES73,000.00 (USD655.91);
• An-24; 8204 - Somali Air Force - KES73,000.00 (USD655.91);
• CRJ200; No Registration - JetLink Express (Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) - KES69,175.00 (USD621.54);
• F28-4000; 5Y-JLA - Jetlink Express - KES187,800.00 (USD1,687.39);
• DC-8-63(F); 4R-EXJ - AeroSpace Consortium (AKQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) - KES406,800.00...