Air Nam leases A343's ...

[Gunship]

Air Namibia has signed a 7-year lease for 2 Airbus A340-300s with
Courbevoie in Paris. The first aircraft, currently in service with
Lufthansa, will be delivered on December 1st. The second aircraft is
scheduled to arrive in September 2006.
Air Namibia currently operates 4 flights a week to Frankfurt with a
Douglas MD11 leased from Swiss. Shortly it will add a 2nd MD11 on lease
in order to start service from Windhoek to London Heathrow on July 1st
with 3 flights a week.

[126,7]

These guys change aircraft like its going out of fashion.

B747 SP
B767
B747-400
MD11
A340-300

They spend more money on training crews than on anything else. Looks good on your licence though.

[ChiefT]

The A340 is the aircraft type they desire since years. Will be obviously S/N 047 and 051, so quite old ones. The MD-11 was an intermediate solution because they had to sell the B747-400M.
The MD-11 is not leased from Swiss, but it is a former Swissair aircraft. Lessor is a Uk Company

Greetings, ChiefT

[KiloMIke]

From www.airnamibia.com


Monday 14 March 2005


Air Namibia flies to London from July
Yesterday at the ITB travel fair in Berlin, Air Namibia’s Managing Director Kosmas H Egumbo announced to the Namibian travel trade and members of the international media that Air Namibia will introduce direct flights between Windhoek and London as from July. Earlier in the week Kosmas Egumbo and Andre Compion of Air Namibia concluded negotiations for the second long haul aircraft.

A similar McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft to that currently used on the Frankfurt route will initially be used on the United Kingdom services until such time as the Airbus A340-300 is introduced. It is anticipated that the Airbus will take over these services in 2006.

Northbound flights will leave Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings, arriving London Gatwick the next morning. Return services will leave from the North Terminal Gatwick Airport London on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings, arriving Windhoek the next morning. The inaugural northbound service will be operated on Saturday 2nd July.

Schedule:
Depart: Windhoek - 18h40
Arrive: London - 04h55

Depart: London - 21h30
Arrive: Windhoek - 07h45

[samueldethierry]

Hate to be picky, but Air Namibia has signed an agreement for slots at London Gatwick NOT London Heathrow. There were no slots for the times they wanted and they couldn't leave the aircraft in hangers there during the day at Heathrow. However, I'm sure when Terminal 5 is up and running, they'll resume operations to their prefered London airport, London Heathrow, rather than London Gatwick. They land at London Gatiwck's North Terminal at 04.55am on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings, leaving at 21.15 16 hours later.

They jugle the aircraft around on the route, sometimes the new A340-300 and sometimes the MD-11. Soon, as you probably know, the 2nd MD-11 will be replaced with a second A340-300 in September 2006.

[ChiefT]

In FRA they cannot use a hangar too, so that cannot be the point.

The aircraft sits 16 hours around doing nothing; how can they ever make money with it...

[samueldethierry]

Well, i wouldn't call them a real profit making airline. especially as about 80-85% won't ever be able to fly with them.

In terms of flying into London Gatwick, they don't have a hangar there, and no contract with any other airline who owns hangars there, the aircraft sits at an empty ramp away from the Terminal and gets towed to the gate about 1 1/2 hours before the scheduled departure.

Heathrow's slots are chock-ablock especially at the times they want and they only just scraped a slot at Gatwick.

The reason for the aircraft sitting around for 16 hours is because; when they operated 747sp's into Heathrow in the 1990's, they had a turn-around time of 2.5-3 hours. I remeber being delayed for 2 days with them and on the 3rd they finally cancelled our flight. With such a small fleet, one delay will build up with such active aircraft and short turn around times, so they are wise to have a big gap between flights. They had an 9 hour delay on the flight the other week, and it didn't muck up any of the schedules after that because of the big gap between flights. Also, it allows for emergency matienence if needed on such tired MD-11s.

[Fat A1bert]

Anyway... looks good :)

http://images.airliners.net/photos/middle/2/0/0/967002.jpg

FA

[EDDNHopper]

they couldn't leave the aircraft in hangers there during the day

I have yet to see a hanger where you can leave an aircraft, be it day or night... ;)

[ChiefT]

Quote:... Also, it allows for emergency matienence if needed on such tired MD-11s.


Tired MD-11s? The A340 are not much younger, in fact they have the same age, but need better maintenance!

[samueldethierry]

IN 1987, SWISSAIR RECIVED THEIR MD-11'S VS. LUFTHANSA'S A340, THE 2 OF WHICH ARE NOW BEING LEASED TO AIR NAMIBIA WERE FIRST PLACED INTO SERVICE BY LUFTHANSA AT THE END OF 1993/BEGINNING OF 1994...

[KiloMIke]

When SW flew to LHR before there aircraft was never parked in a hangar while it was there.

Most likely reason for LGW is slots and terminal capacity. Also probably a bit cheaper to park there all day!

[ChiefT]

@samueldethierry
Yes, but the particular MD-11 used by Air Nam were built in 1991 and the LH ones in 1994. 3 years is not that much difference.

But I must admit, the MD-11s are older...