Fokkernews May 2022 (issue 53)

General news

Gran Colombia de Aviacion (GCA) has suspended its operations in late April 2022 due to financial problems. The airline had six F50s since 2017 (three officially registered in Colombia and three still registered with parent Avior in Venezuela), but  they have never flown revenue flights for the airline. 

Qantas, that possesses 20% of the shares of Alliance Airlines, intends to acquire the remaining 80%, subject to approval by the Australian competition authorities. The deal would include the entire Alliance fleet of over 40 Fokker aircraft. 

In March 2022, the Philippines Air Force took their fifth Casa C295 on strength. This implicates that the end of the F27 era is rapidly approaching. 

On 2 May 2022 Amapola Flyg started to operate its first international scheduled flight, from Stockholm-Arlanda to Kokkola-Jakobstad in Finland with a stopover in Kramfors. The connection is offered on four days per week, of course using F50 equipment. During the July-August 2022 period it will be changed to a non-stop flight.

Fokker F27, Fokker 50 & Fokker 60

c/n type registration new registration comment
10295 400 5Y-SEP Safari Express Cargo. Is active again, so the storage (see Fokkernews 52) was temporary.
10369 500 5Y-GMC Astral Aviation. Stored at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta for a few months.
10370 500 5Y-CCE Cargo2Fly. This freighter is currently operating in South Sudan.
10378 500 5Y-GMD Astral Aviation. Stored at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta since a couple of months.
10448 500 5Y-JUU Astral Aviation. Stored at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta and reportedly offered for sale.
10550 500CRF 5Y-SEC Safari Express Cargo. Is active again, so the storage reported in Fokkernews 52 was for a short period only.
20110 50 5Y-SKN Air Kasaï. Seen at Nairobi-Wilson in full Air Kasaï c/s, intended to enter service out of Kinshasa in first week of May 2022.
20119 50F PK-KRP 5Y-JWY Silverstone Air Services. On 30 April 2022 this aircraft was seen at Medan, Indonesia in full Asialink Cargo Express colors with Kenyan registration.
20147 50E 5Y-GMS SE-LIP Jubba Airways (operator needs confirmation). Cancelled from Swedish register 6 May 2022 and ferried from Malmö via Brindisi and Luxor to Nairobi 14-16 May 2022.

Fokker F28, Fokker 70 & Fokker 100

c/n type registration new registration comment
11369 100 YR-FKB Carpatair. On 11 May 2022 this F100, which had operated for Nordica in Sweden since late March, returned to homebase Arad in Romania. Since then it has been flying chartyers all over Europe.
11505 100 VH-NQZ Network Aviation (QantasLink). Cabin reconfiguration was recently completed and the aircraft is now being prepared for its first test flight, prior ro entering service by the end of May.
11545 70 5Y-JFE Alliance Airlines. The 'RedS official airline partner' titles that were applied in early 2021 have been removed.
11547 70 VH-KBX Alliance Airlines. This VIP F70 was noted at Brisbane on 16 May 2022 with windows taped over, apparently prepared for long-term storage.
11562 70 5B-DDF TUS Airways. After having been stored at Bratislava for more than two years, the lessor ferried the F70 to Woensdrecht for continued storage on 13 May 2022 as SXI2225, still in full TUS Airways livery.

Former Sunshine Aviation Friendship HB-ISH (10260), withdrawn from service 30 years ago, serves as a trainer with the fire service at Basel-Mulhouse airport. The livery is very faded, yet recognizable. (John Tomlinson on Flickr; Basel, 1 May 2022)

 

After Asialink Cargo Express ceased to exist in 2017, its singe F50 PK-KRP (20119) was put in storage at Batam island and offered for sale. By the end of 2021, a Kenyan airline (Skyward or Silverstone Air Services?) acquired the full freighter and recently the aircraft was photographed in Medan, Indonesia, still in Asialink colors but registered as 5Y-JWY. (Simon Aviation; Kualanamu International Airport, 30 April 2022)

 

Alliance Airlines F50 VH-FKX (20312) is in the process of being parted out. (Tony Haynes on Flickr; Adelaide, 14 May 2022)

 

Ex Air Panama HP-1896PST (11320) in its current status, waiting for the next guests to visit ‘The Captain Flag’ restaurant. (David Russell on Flickr; Naos Island, Panama City, 22 April 2022)

 

In Fokkernews 45 we showed a picture of former Avianca F100 PR-OAF (11415), transformed into a fine dining restaurant. At that time it was in full Pan American colors with the fake registration N281PA. Recently the titles were changed into TPE American, where TPE stands for The Plane Experience. (Lukas Souza on Simple Flying; Brasilia, 26 April 2022)

 

After its last flight for TUS Airways in 2019, 5B-DDD (11417) was stored at is home base. This picture shows it now during the parting out process. Intention is to completely scrap the frame once all useable parts are removed. (Glenn Palmer on Facebook; Larnaca, 8 May 2022)

 

The special decals 'RedS official airline partner' are no longer carried by Alliance Airlines F70 VH-JFE (11545). (Matthew Welsby; Adelaide, 29 April 2022)

 

Former TUS Airways F70 5B-DDF (11562) was flown from Bratislava to Woensdrecht for continued storage, waiting for an interested buyer. (Ralph Hamaker; Woensdrecht, 13 May 2022)

 

Credits

All photographers named above, ASNAR-RDC, Aviator.aero, Merv Crowe, Frank Ellemers, FlightAware, Flightradar24, Lentoposti.fi, Luchtvaartnieuws, Scramble, Skyliner, Svenskt Flyghistoriskt Forum, Willem Westerhof, Woensdrecht Aviation Society forum.