Fokkernews November 2021 (issue 47)

General news

Carpatair has acquired one Airbus 319 that will enter the fleet before year end 2021. It will replace one of their two F100s. 

Earlier this year Avanti Air announced to sell its two remaining F100s. One is already in Australia, and the second will be retired before year end. Two DHC-8-400 aircraft will replace the Fokkers in January 2022. 

The Somalian CAA has granted the first airline operators certificate (AOC) to Freedom Airlines Express, that operates out of Kenya until now. The airline has two F50 in the fleet.

Fokker F27, Fokker 50 & Fokker 60

c/n type registration new registration comment
10154 300M 5Y-BTD Pan Africa Airways. The Kenya Airports Authority announced a public auction of 73 uncollected junk aircraft, that are abandoned at various airports in the country. This Friendship is stored at Nairobi Wilson and has a reserve price of US$ 562.
10531 500CRF 5X-FFN Fly 540. Also on the auction list (see above), is stored at Nairobi Wilson and has a reserve price of US$ 562.
20111 50 5Y-MIS Silverstone Air Services. Also on the auction list (see above), is stored at Nairobi Wilson and has a reserve price of US$ 562.
20121 50 5Y-WFA Daruro Airline. Acquired sometime in 2020 from Buff Air Services.
20160 50 VH-FKO Alliance Airlines. Seen stored at Adelaide 19 October 2021, looking intact.
20167 50 5Y-SIB Skyward Express. This F50 is also on the auction list (see above), is stored at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta and has a reserve price of US$ 562.
20207 50 5Y-GIG Bush Air Safaris. Also on the auction list (see above), is stored at Nairobi Wilson and has a reserve price of US$ 562.
20214 50 9S-AAB 5Y-WFD This aircraft has now been identified. It is an ex-CAA F50 that was delivered in April 2020 to Buff Air Services and few months later to Daruro Airline in Somalia.
20216 50F SE-LFS Amapola Flyg. Leased to ASL Airlines Ireland 14-11-2021 for flying the nightly service between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Venice as ABR8032/7032.
20250 50 5Y-WFC Buff Air Services. After the landing incident on 5 July 2020 at Bardere, Somalia, the F50 was declared a write-off.
20286 50 VH-FKZ Alliance Airlines. Despite plans to retire all F50s in August 2021, this one was seen in active service 19 October 2021 in Adelaide.
20303 50 VH-FKV Alliance Airlines. Seen stored at Adelaide 19 October 2021, looking intact.
20306 50 VH-FKW Alliance Airlines. Like sister ship VH-FKZ this F50 was still active in Adelaide 19 October 2021.
20312 50 VH-FKX Alliance Airlines. Noted being parted out in Adelaide 19 October 2021.

Fokker F28, Fokker 70 & Fokker 100

c/n type registration new registration comment
11050 1000 C-GYCR Our previous notes on the three former Canadian Regional Fellowships associated with the Time Air Historical Society (TAHS) were not entirely correct and need some clarifications. In October 2021 C-GYCR was successfully moved out of Saskatoon and reassembled at a farm in rural southern Alberta. The aircraft retains its original Canadian Regional livery, and will be modestly restored. It is privately owned and will not be on public display.
11093 4000 5Y-JLA JetLink Express. The Kenya Airports Authority announced a public auction of 73 uncollected junk aircraft, that are abandoned at various airports in the country. This Fellowship is sitting at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta and has a reserve price of nearly US$ 1700.
11099 1000 C-GTIZ This ex-Canadian Regional F28 is also privately owned and still sits in Saskatoon. In due time TAHS will move it to another rural farm in Alberta, where it will be restored back to the Canadian Regional Proud Wing livery.
11106 1000 C-FTAV This Fellowship is still stored at Saskatoon and will relocate to Lethbridge in 2022. There it will form the cornerstone of the Aviation Museum that will be largely devoted to the history of Time Air. The plan is to paint the F28 in the Silver Anniversary livery of Time Air, with additional names of all airlines that have operated it. TAHS has started a crowd funding campaign in order to generate donations for the restauration process: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bringing-cftav-home.
11330 100 EP-LCR Kish Air. Several sources mention that Kish Air returned one grounded F100 into service after completion of repairs by late August 2021. As this is currently the only F100 active with Kish Air, it is the likely candidate. We were not aware that the aircraft was in need of repairs. Any more information is welcome.
11416 100 9A-BTE Trade Air. Flew Barcelona to Podgorica 11 November 2021, on lease to Air Montenegro for covering downtime on their two Embraer 195s.
11493 100 PH-ABW Noted at Maastricht 29 October 2021 being scrapped.
11559 70 ZS-SKA TL-AET Confirming our suspicion (edition #46), this F70 is now indeed registered in the Central African Republic. It is reportedly flying for Karibou Airlines, painted all white.

For nearly 20 years this early Friendship VH-JCC (10176) is sitting in a paddock on Tamworth Regional airport, well visible on Google Earth (-31.0818, 150.8422). The livery of its last operator, Aircruising Australia, is still pretty intact, but the aircraft itself looks in a sorry condition. The picture was taken from the control tower. (Kristiana Taylor; Tamworth, NSW, 3 November 2021)

 

A picture found on Twitter shows a white F50 with Daruro Airline titles. On top of the cockpit is an “R”, which make us suppose that the aircraft might be 5Y-JNR (20288), as it is the only known one in the region with a registration ending on R. Of course confirmation it required. (Mohamed Osman Mohamed on Twitter; Barawe, Somalia, 8 April 2021)

 

In contrast to previous announcements, Alliance Airlines has not yet completely withdrawn their F50 fleet from use; two units are still active, amongst which VH-FKW (20306). (Merv Crowe; Adelaide, 19 October 2021)

 

In Fokkernews 40 we already had a picture of former Sun Adria 9A-BTF (11336). On a recent photograph the project now looks finished; also note the large ‘Party Avion’ billboard on top of the aircraft. (Charles Cunliffe on Flickr; Strmec Stubički, 27 September 2021)

 

Credits

All photographers named above, Air-Britain News, ATDB.aero, Aviator.aero, Rik Barry (Time Air Historical Society), CH-Aviation, Merv Crowe, Flightradar24, FlyMST.nl forum, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Skyliner, Jacques Vooren.