Fokkernews March 2024 (issue 75)
General news
The Tanzanian government intends to replace the current VIP fleet, consisting of the presidential Gulfstream V and two Fokkers: one F50 and one F28, which is stored. Replacement will probably be one Boeing 737BBJ.
Arvand Airlines in Iran, which has been dormant since 2013, wants to restart and intends to operate six Fokker 100s. We assume that these will come from other Iranian airlines.
Reportedly Niger Airlines will soon restart international operations. As the fleet of two F50s are currently in use for domestic flights, we suppose that other aircraft will be acquired.
For the replacement of their Fokker 100 fleet (four active units remaining), Virgin Australia Regional Airlines has shortlisted two candidates: Embraer ERJ190-E2 and Airbus A220-100. The first of the new aircraft is expected mid-2025.
Fokker F27, Fokker 50 & Fokker 60
| c/n | type | registration | new registration | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10378 | 500 | 5Y-GMD | Astral Aviation. The Friendship is still in maintenance. Once ready it will be added to Aerospace Consortium's AOC. | |
| 20216 | 50F | SE-LFS | Amapola Flyg. After some two months inactivity at Malmö, this freighter came back into service on 4 March 2024, operating a return flight to Stoc ofkholm-Arlanda for Zimex Aviation Austria. | |
| 20223 | 50 | 5Y-SMO | DragonFly Aviation. Reportedly returned to Saacid Airlines on sub-lease, date unknown. | |
| 20224 | 50 | EP-GAS | Karun Airlines. Seen stored at Ahwaz on 23 December 2023, without engines. The aircraft still carried Naft Airlines titles, so probably it has not been operational since the name change in 2018. |
Fokker F28, Fokker 70 & Fokker 100
| c/n | type | registration | new registration | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11365 | 100 | VH-FKF | Alliance Airlines. Flew Perth, Port Hedland to Singapore-Seletar 13 November 2023 and returned same route 10 January 2024 after maintenance. | |
| 11369 | 100 | 5Y-SKB | Skyward Express. Flew from Woensdrecht via Luxembourg, El Alamein and Djibouti to Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta 8-9 March 2024 on delivery as 5YSKB. This is an uncommon route for a delivery flight to Kenya. | |
| 11474 | 100 | PK-MJD | Merpati. Officially cancelled from the Indonesian register 23 July 2023. The aircraft was already withdrawn from use after an incident at Kupang in December 2009; its current state is not sure. | |
| 11559 | 70 | 5Y-MMB | Salaam Air Express.On 26 March 2024 the F70 experienced a taxiway excursion after landing at Nairobi-Wilson. The nose gear ended in soft ground. There were no injuries and little, if any damage. |
The volunteers of HARS (Historical Aircraft Restoration Society) have completed painting of their F27 (c/n 10680) in the original colors of Trans Australia Airlines. The registration VH-TQN is a tribute to the original TAA Friendship VH-TQN (10385) named John Batman, which carried this registration from 1968 to 1984. (Phil Vabre; Wollongong, 28 February 2024)
Friendship AP-BHZ (c/n 10686) that was transported from the PS Aero collection in Baarlo, the Netherlands to a private owner near Kassel, Germany, in August 2023 is offered for sale via PlaneCheck since January 2024. It was reassembled on site and still carries the ASSL colors with two additions, namely a portrait of a young soldier in the tail and a large picture of André Rieux Orchestra behind the front door. (Lukas Hollnsteiner; 7 March 2024, Wega near Bad Wildungen, Germany)
After a taxiway excursion Salaam Air 5Y-MMB (11559) came to a stop in the mud. The pictures show that damage is limited. (Omwambake; 26 March 2024, Nairobi-Wilson)
Credits
All photographers named above, ATDB, AMCAR, André Alders, Aviation Herald, CH-Aviation, Frank Ellemers, FlightAware, Flightradar24, Walter de Groot, Jan Homma, Greg Hyde, Planespotters, Henk Wadman, WoensdrechtAS forum.
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