Daallo adds BAe 146 to enhance Djibouti links

The aircraft, bearing manufacturer’s serial number E2074, is currently in Bulgaria  where it will operate under the AOC of Sofia-based Aviostart, and following prre=-painting, will be used on Daallo’s regional airline services linking the Republic of Djibouti to neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa and across the Arabian Peninsula.

Daallo Airlines has an air transport history of more than 20 years since it began operations at Djibouti Ambouli International Airport with a single Cessna Caravan. In 2007 a subsidiary of Dubai World – Istithmar World Aviation (IWA) Holdings – joined the original founders and the Djibouti government to form a new company. The executive offices of the airline are based at the Dubai Airport Free Zone.

For many years operations have been carried out using wet-leased aircraft, most recently including an Airbus A320. Services are currently flown to Mogadishu and Hargeisa in Somalia, as well as to Dubai and to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to scheduled airline services DAALLO Airlines also operates flights for Haj and Umrah pilgrimages and has participated in aerial relief and medical supply efforts in Eastern and Central Africa.

Mr Mohammed Yassin, the founder and now CEO of Daallo Airlines said: “We are very pleased to become the latest operator of the BAe 146 which is an aircraft ideally suited to the demands of African air travel. We intend to replace our wet-leased aircraft with the BAe 146 which, with its capacity of 93 seats, is ideally sized for our network requirements.”

Dubai World has been a major partner in the development of Djibouti's infrastructure for some time and already operates and manages a number of leisure and business projects. Daallo's strong base in the Horn of Africa was seen as an opportunity to gain the required leverage to make the region a major travel and business destination.