EU removes Gabon from blacklist

Gabon's Afrijet resumes int'l operations

AirKenya receives first Dash 8-200

Safari operator AirKenya (P2, Nairobi Wilson) has taken delivery of one DHC-8-200 (msn 516) on lease from Elix Aviation Capital. The aircraft previously registered as N361PH has been cancelled from the US register and is pending registration in Kenya, the lessor confirmed.

The DHC-8-202 is first of its type in the AirKenya fleet and the first to be leased from Elix, which announced that it was expanding its leasing services in the African market. The Dublin-based lessor last year delivered its second DHC-8-Q200 to Safarilink Aviation (F2, Nairobi Wilson) of Kenya, following the 2019 delivery of one ATR42-500 to Afrijet Business Service (J7, Libreville) in Libreville, Gabon. Elix has a diversified lease portfolio comprised of Bombardier Aerospace (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) and Avions de Transport Régional (EVX, Toulouse Blagnac) turboprops with more than 20 lessees worldwide.

AirKenya operates charter and scheduled flights into Kenyan National Parks and reserves. Apart from the new arrival, it operates a fleet of eight aircraft, including three 16-seat DHC-6...

Editorial Comment: Updated registration status to clarify the aircraft has already been cancelled in the US register. - 19.01.2021 - 06:55 UTC

Gabon's Afrijet adds wet-leased ATR freighter

Afrijet Business Service (J7, Libreville) has wet-leased its first dedicated freighter, an ATR72-500(F), from Switzerland's Zimex Aviation (XM, Zurich).

HB-ABS (msn 711) was ferried from Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg, CH via Malta Int'l and Tamanrasset to Libreville over the course of December 28-30, 2020, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The aircraft is painted in the Gabonese carrier's livery.

The 16.6-year-old Avions de Transport Régional turboprop is a new addition to Zimex's fleet, and the wet-lease with Afrijet is its first commercial deployment. It was previously by CanaryFly (PM, Las Palmas) in a passenger configuration through November 2019, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows.

HB-ABS marks Afrijet's first foray into the dedicated freighter market. Gabon's largest carrier also operates one ATR42-500, two ATR72-500s, and one ATR72-600. It also supplements its in-house fleet with another wet-leased passenger aircraft, an ATR42-500 operated by Solenta Aviation (SET, Lanseria). Afrijet deploys the fleet on a network of domestic scheduled flights, as well as to Douala in...

Gabon grounds locally-based, foreign-registered aircraft