African charter service provider Air Bonanza Express is shifting the base of its IL-76 freighter aircraft to cater for demand out of Chad and the Ivory Coast, reports HLPFI’s sister publication Air Cargo News.
The Nairobi-based firm will base its IL-76TD at Ndjamena in Chad and Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. It has previously been based in Ghana, where it was catering for demand from the United Nations for its peace-keeping operation in Mali, and Kenya and South Sudan.
Air Bonanza Express chief executive Boniface Kimani said that the decision to move the aircraft is “both strategic and demand-driven”. “There are a few project cargo movements and several others awaiting confirmation,” he said. ”This is an indicator that, alongside demand, helps us take calculated risks in moving the aircraft to the region.”
He added that Air Bonanza is partnering with local cargo agencies around the region and identifying opportunities to consolidate cargo, with the aim of opening up an intra-regional cargo network.
”In view of the vastness of the West African region, there is a lack of enough equipment with oversized capacity like the IL-76. Most customers find the cost of mobilisation and demobilisation way too high as opposed to the actual cargo airlift from one location to another. We want to be a solution to the region by bringing the aircraft closer to our customers in the regions of West and Central Africa.”
Kimani added that the airline is also in the advanced stages of striking a lease deal for a Boeing 767-300 freighter, which will provide a more fuel-efficient operation.
As well as the IL-76 aircraft, Air Bonanza Express also offers capacity on a Mi-26T heavy transport helicopter.
The Russian-built helicopter is the largest serial production in the world. The Mi-26T cargo variant offers a large payload capacity of around 20 tons and rear loading doors.
