View Full Version : Aerocontractors 737-300
Hi,
Does anyone know what the JAT Airways 737-300 wetleased and painted in Aerocontractors livery doing in Nigeria? Is it operating the scheduled flights?
dejidip
21st Nov 2003, 02:08
HI once again yes thats very real and they are operating already with JAT crew flying to port-Harcourt and abuja not doing badly too.
I recall they said they would add a 737-300 for international flights. Is this a sign of impending multilateral BASA designations with other regional countries?
dejidip
21st Nov 2003, 02:26
INFORMATION REACHING ME IS THAT THEY ARE EXPECTING TO USE THE 300 TO CARRY OUT HUB FLTS FOR KLM AND VIRGIN SOMETHING THEY ALREADY DO WITH THE DASH 8 AC BASA YOU MIGHT CALL IT THAT
Thanks for this insight! We did hear somethings about connecting prospects such as Bellview's as well (with Air France).
Mama Mangrove
21st Nov 2003, 23:45
The aircraft has been wet leased for an initial 6 month period and is replacing 2 dry-leased Dash 8s. This is supposed to achieve a substantial cost saving.
Because it is a wet lease, some of their crews (who have been with them for over 20 years) have been laid off.
Are you suggesting they dont operate the Dash 8s on scheduled flights anymore? According to their flight schedules, flights between from LOS to ABV and PHC have increased to 4 daily flights (2 by DASH8s and 2 by 737-300).
dejidip
22nd Nov 2003, 05:21
Dash 8s are still slugging it out on the PHC-WARRI-LOS routes can AERO ever give up on DASH-8s abomination thats the GOLDEN hen.
Mama Mangrove
22nd Nov 2003, 06:38
No Rani, not suggesting anything at all about not operating Dash 8s on scheduled flights, just the straight statement that 2 only of them have been replaced by the 737.
But who knows, it's just a few short years since they were operating mostly Twin Otters and the opening of Osubi pretty much killed them off within a year...:ouch:
Mama Mangrove,
About Osubi Airstrip, I've heard lately that the local youths and "area boys" have frequently taken over the facility threatening to burn it down, as a protest to their exclusion from local development programs. Maybe you were referring to other operators being given access to their market?
Mama Mangrove
24th Nov 2003, 04:12
Rani,
Not really. It's that with the opening of a full sized runway, larger, more economical aircraft could operate to Warri, leaving only a few places where it was economical to operate the Twin Otters. The opening of Osubi also meant that Warri old airstrip was closed to fixed wing aircraft and the main airport road no longer had to be closed every time an aircraft arrived or departed (the runway at the old strip was so short that the main road was used for aircraft taking off to turn and give them a few extra feet on the take off run - it was also very narrow and surrounded by houses).