Fly540
Encyclopedia
Fly540 is a low-cost airline
based in Nairobi
, Kenya
. It operates domestic and international passenger and freight services.
and Mombasa
on November 24, 2006. The service initially operated twice daily using 48-seat ATR 42
aircraft. The airline's name refers to its price of Sh5,540 per adult return fare between the above-mentioned cities.
Lonrho Africa is a major investor in the company, paying US $
1.5 million for a 49 % stake.
In May 2007 the airline introduced two de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 aircraft to increase the airline's capacity, allowing it to develop new domestic routes. Passenger numbers rose by 93 % to 171,160 in the year ended 30 September 2008, from 88,571 in 2007. At the same time, the load factor
amounted to 63 %, down from 65.8 % in 2007.
The original scheduled flights included freight services and passenger services between Nairobi and Mombasa, while Kisumu
became a destination in January 2007. Daily flights on the Nairobi-Malindi
-Lamu
route were added to its domestic services in February 2007.
International operations commenced in October 2007 with flights to Juba
in South Sudan
and Goma
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
; Entebbe
in Uganda
was added in February 2008. It was planned to expand the Nairobi hub's destinations to Rwanda, Mozambique and Burundi in 2009. The company's ambition is to become a pan-African carrier, through an expansion to an additional two regional hubs:
Fly540 received authorisation to start operations in Angola in April 2009. The initial plans include domestic flights to Cabinda
, Luanda
, Soyo
, Benguela
, Huambo
and Malanje
, but an expansion within the region will take place as soon as the domestic market has proven its success. In June 2009, it was reported that Fly540 was working to set up a regional franchise in Zimbabwe
.
Fly 540 has launched direct flights between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, on the western shores of Lake Victoria. Initially the company will operate 11 flights a week and it is hoped that in time its Fokker 28 aircraft which carries 28 people will be upgraded to a 50 seater CRJ 100 aeroplane. The route leaves Dar es Salaam at 06.30 and 16.30, with return flights from Mwanza at 08.15 and 18.15.
In January 2008, the company signed a US$150 million contract for eight ATR 72-500s
to be delivered in 2008 and 2009. As of July 2010 none of the ATR 72s on order — now totalling ten — have been delivered.
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
based in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It operates domestic and international passenger and freight services.
History
The airline started operations between NairobiJomo Kenyatta International Airport
-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
and Mombasa
Moi International Airport
Moi International Airport , also Mombasa International Airport, or Mombasa Airport, is an airport in Kenya.-Location:Mombasa Airport, , is located in Mombasa District, Coast Province, in the city of Mombasa, in a township called Port Reitz, in southeastern Kenya, along the Indian Ocean coast.Its...
on November 24, 2006. The service initially operated twice daily using 48-seat ATR 42
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
aircraft. The airline's name refers to its price of Sh5,540 per adult return fare between the above-mentioned cities.
Lonrho Africa is a major investor in the company, paying US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.5 million for a 49 % stake.
In May 2007 the airline introduced two de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 aircraft to increase the airline's capacity, allowing it to develop new domestic routes. Passenger numbers rose by 93 % to 171,160 in the year ended 30 September 2008, from 88,571 in 2007. At the same time, the load factor
Load factor
Load factor may refer to:* Load factor , the ratio of the lift of an aircraft to its weight* Load factor , the ratio of the number of records to the number of addresses within a data structure...
amounted to 63 %, down from 65.8 % in 2007.
Pan-African ambitions
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
became a destination in January 2007. Daily flights on the Nairobi-Malindi
Malindi
Malindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi is 117,735 . It is the capital of the Malindi District.Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is...
-Lamu
Lamu
-Threats to Lamu:In a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund identified Lamu as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management and development pressure as primary causes.- See also :* Juma and the Magic...
route were added to its domestic services in February 2007.
International operations commenced in October 2007 with flights to Juba
Juba, Sudan
Juba is the capital and largest city of the Republic of South Sudan. It also serves as the capital of Central Equatoria, the smallest of the ten states of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and functions as the seat and metropolis of Juba County.- Population :In 2005, Juba's...
in South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
and Goma
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
; Entebbe
Entebbe
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
was added in February 2008. It was planned to expand the Nairobi hub's destinations to Rwanda, Mozambique and Burundi in 2009. The company's ambition is to become a pan-African carrier, through an expansion to an additional two regional hubs:
"...we will open up KigaliKigaliKigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
and then head to West AfricaWest AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
will be the hub for West African region. In Southern AfricaSouthern AfricaSouthern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
, we shall use AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
as our hub, so it will become a pan African low cost airline".
Fly540 received authorisation to start operations in Angola in April 2009. The initial plans include domestic flights to Cabinda
Cabinda (city)
Cabinda or Tchiowa, as it is called by the Cabindans, is a city that is located in the Cabinda Province, an exclave of Angola. Angolan sovereignty over Cabinda is disputed by the Republic of Cabinda...
, Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, Soyo
Soyo
Soyo is a city located in the province of Zaire in Angola. Soyo recently became the largest oil-producing region in the country, with an estimate of .-Early history:...
, Benguela
Benguela
Benguela is a city in western Angola, south of Luanda, and capital of Benguela Province. It lies on a bay of the same name, in 12° 33’ S., 13° 25’ E...
, Huambo
Huambo
Huambo, formerly Nova Lisboa , is the capital of Huambo province in Angola. The city is located about 220 km E from Benguela and 600 km SE from Luanda. The city's last known population count was 225,268...
and Malanje
Malanje
Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola with a population of approximately 222,000. Nearby is the spectacular Calandula waterfalls, 85 km from the city. These falls are 105 metres high and their great width makes them the main tourist attraction in the region. It is a...
, but an expansion within the region will take place as soon as the domestic market has proven its success. In June 2009, it was reported that Fly540 was working to set up a regional franchise in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Fly 540 has launched direct flights between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, on the western shores of Lake Victoria. Initially the company will operate 11 flights a week and it is hoped that in time its Fokker 28 aircraft which carries 28 people will be upgraded to a 50 seater CRJ 100 aeroplane. The route leaves Dar es Salaam at 06.30 and 16.30, with return flights from Mwanza at 08.15 and 18.15.
Destinations
As of October 2010, Fly540 has the following destinations:- Burundi
- BujumburaBujumbura-Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...
(Bujumbura International AirportBujumbura International AirportBujumbura International Airport is an airport in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.In 2008, the airport served 120,000 passengers.-Airlines and destinations:-Cargo airlines:...
)
- Bujumbura
- Kenya
- EldoretEldoretEldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...
(Eldoret International AirportEldoret International Airport-Location:Eldoret Airport, , is located in the city of Eldoret, in Uasin Gishu District, Rift Valley Province, in the southwestern part of Kenya, close to the International border with Uganda. Its location is approximately , by road, south of the central business district of Eldoret...
) - KakamegaKakamegaKakamega is a town in western Kenya lying about 30 km north of the Equator. It is the headquarters of . The town has a population of 73,607 ....
(Kakamega AirportKakamega Airport-Location:Kakamega Airport is located in Kakamega District, Western Province, in the town of Kakamega, in western Kenya, close to the International border with the Republic of Uganda....
) - KisumuKisumuKisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...
(Kisumu AirportKisumu AirportKisumu Airport is an airport in Kisumu, Kenya . It is the third busiest airport in Kenya.-Airlines and destinations:-Trivia:* U.S. President Barack Obama's father is from the village of Nyang'oma Kogelo, 37 miles or 60 km from Kisumu...
) - KitaleKitaleKitale is an agricultural town in western Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherengani Hills at an elevation of around . Its urban population was estimated at 220,000 in 2007....
(Kitale AirportKitale Airport-Location:Kitale Airport is located in Trans-Nzoia District, Rift Valley Province, in the town of Kitale, in northwestern Kenya, close to the International border with the Republic of Uganda....
) - LamuLamu-Threats to Lamu:In a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund identified Lamu as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management and development pressure as primary causes.- See also :* Juma and the Magic...
(Manda AirportManda Airport-Location:Manda Airport is located in on Manda Island, Lamu District, Coast Province, in the Lamu Archipelago on the western shores of the Indian Ocean, on the Kenya coast....
) - LodwarLodwarLodwar is the largest town in northwestern Kenya, located west of Lake Turkana on the A1 road. Its main industries are basket weaving and tourism. The Loima Hills lie to its west. Lodwar is the capital of Turkana District...
(Lodwar AirportLodwar Airport-Location:Lodwar Airport is located in Turkana District, Rift Valley Province, in the town of Lodwar, in the northwestern part of the Republic of Kenya. Its location is approximately , by air, northwest of Nairobi International Airport, the country’s largest civilian airport...
) - MalindiMalindiMalindi is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi is 117,735 . It is the capital of the Malindi District.Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is...
(Malindi AirportMalindi Airport-Location:Malindi Airport is located in Malindi District, Coast Province, in the town of Malindi, in southeastern Kenya, at the Indian Ocean coast....
) - Masai MaraMasai MaraThe Maasai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania...
(Mara Serena AirportMara Serena AirportMara Serena Airport is an airport in Masai Mara, Kenya-Location:Mara Serena Airport is located in Masai Mara, in Trans Mara District, Rift Valley Province, in southwestern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania....
) - MombasaMombasaMombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
(Moi International AirportMoi International AirportMoi International Airport , also Mombasa International Airport, or Mombasa Airport, is an airport in Kenya.-Location:Mombasa Airport, , is located in Mombasa District, Coast Province, in the city of Mombasa, in a township called Port Reitz, in southeastern Kenya, along the Indian Ocean coast.Its...
) - NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
(Jomo Kenyatta International AirportJomo Kenyatta International Airport-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
)
- Eldoret
- South Sudan
- JubaJuba, SudanJuba is the capital and largest city of the Republic of South Sudan. It also serves as the capital of Central Equatoria, the smallest of the ten states of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and functions as the seat and metropolis of Juba County.- Population :In 2005, Juba's...
(Juba AirportJuba AirportJuba Airport is the main airport in Juba, South Sudan.-Location:The airport is located in the capital city of Juba, South Sudan. The airport lies to the northeast of the Central business district of the city, on the western banks of the White Nile....
)
- Juba
- Tanzania
- ArushaArushaArusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
(Arusha AirportArusha AirportArusha Airport is a small airport serving Arusha, Tanzania.The airport is currently undergoing an expansion which includes an extension of the current runway and new terminal buildings.The airport served 87,252 passengers in 2004....
) - MwanzaMwanzaMwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
(Mwanza AirportMwanza AirportMwanza International Airport is a major regional international Tanzanian airport located in Mwanza City, Tanzania . It serves as the main hub for as well as Delavia- Far East Airways and a secondary hub for Precision Air and Air Tanzania....
) - Grumeti (Grumeti Airport)
- Kilimanjaro (Kilimanjaro International AirportKilimanjaro International AirportKilimanjaro International Airport is the second, albeit small, international airport of Tanzania . It serves the Kilimanjaro area including the cities of Arusha and Moshi near Mount Kilimanjaro, and the international tourism industry based on Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro...
) - Lake ManyaraLake ManyaraLake Manyara is a shallow lake in the Natron-Manyara-Balangida branch of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. Said by Ernest Hemingway to be the "loveliest [lake] .....
(Lake Manyara Airport) - SerengetiSerengetiThe Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
(Serengeti Airport) - ZanzibarZanzibarZanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
(Zanzibar International Airport)
- Arusha
- Uganda
- EntebbeEntebbeEntebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
(Entebbe International AirportEntebbe International AirportEntebbe International Airport is the principal international airport of Uganda.-Location:It is located near the town of Entebbe, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and about from the capital, Kampala...
)
- Entebbe
Fleet
As of July 2010 the Fly540 fleet consists of the following aircraft:- 3 ATR 42-300ATR 42-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
- 1 Beechcraft 1900DBeechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
- 1 Bombardier CRJ-100ERBombardier CRJ200The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
- 3 de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100
- 2 Embraer ERJ 135 LREmbraer ERJ 145 familyThe Embraer ERJ 145 family is a series of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company. Family members include the ERJ 135 , ERJ 140 , and ERJ 145 , as well as the Legacy business jet and the R-99 family of military aircraft. The ERJ 145 is the largest of the group...
- 2 Fokker F27-500RFFokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
In January 2008, the company signed a US$150 million contract for eight ATR 72-500s
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
to be delivered in 2008 and 2009. As of July 2010 none of the ATR 72s on order — now totalling ten — have been delivered.
Accidents and incidents
- On 13 August 2008, a Fokker F27-500Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
cargo aircraft crashed about 20 km (12 mi) from the Namber Konton airport near MogadishuMogadishuMogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. All three crew members died. The aircraft was said to be carrying a shipment of khatKhatKhat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
. The aircraft had departed from Wilson Airport in Nairobi. - On January 27 a Fokker 27 plane on test flight departing Wilson Airport failed to take off and ran through the perimeter fence into a maize field. The plane had four persons on board, and no injuries resulted