Fokkernews January 2021 (issue 38)

General news

On 26 December 2020 Montenegro Airlines ceased all operations. This was due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the decision by the government of Montenegro not to support the airline any longer. The government is working to establish a new airline, provisionally called 2Montenegro. The new airline will start operating the Embraer 195, probably meaning the end for the last F100. 

The government of Palestina has announced that Palestinian Airlines will be liquidated and their two F50s sold. This is an update to Fokkernews 33. 

The state of Papua New Guinea is to invest some US$ 28 million in Air Niugini as support for the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline is currently in a process of restructuring. 

German charter airline Avanti Air has sold their two F100s to Network Aviation (QantasLink) and is looking for replacement aircraft. 

The Argentine Air Force received a large budget for reactivating part of the LADE fleet. LADE (Líneas Aéreas del Estado) is the semi-military airline that flies non-profitable routes in remote parts of the country. Amongst others, three F27s and two F28s will get overhaul and service life extension. 

Iranian domestic airline Karun Airlines, which is mainly flying for the oil and gas industry, is offering its Fokker 50 fleet for sale. The six F50s are between 26 and 30 years old and all are believed to be inactive now. 

In November 2020, Premier Airlines started operations. The virtual airline is registered in Nairobi, Kenya and flies 3 times per week from there to Juba (South Sudan) and Mogadishu (Somalia). The flights are operated by Jetways. On Facebook a picture was seen of an unidentified F50 wearing the titles of the new airline.

Fokker F27, Fokker 50 & Fokker 60

c/n type registration new registration
10258 100 VT-ERZ Continental Aviation. This Friendship is stored at the old airport of Bhopal, India since 1993 and what remains of it is now offered for sale. Asking price ($ 72,000) is probably only the scrap value. The aircraft is visible on Google Maps (23.287991, 77.344502)
10286 100 ZK-BXI Air New Zealand. The front part fuselage of this Friendship was seen in Kaingaroa, Chatham Island, New Zeland 100920. The faded colors of Goa Way, for which it never served, are still visible.
20120 50 SE-LEB 5Y-RNG Silverstone Air Services. Swedish registration cancelled 17 December 2020.
20145 50 SE-MFU 5Y-*** Silverstone Air Services. Swedish registration cancelled on 8 January 2021.
20222 50 EP-OIL Karun Airlines. Seen with 'Karun' titles at Shiraz 21 November 2020.

Fokker F28, Fokker 70 & Fokker 100

c/n type registration new registration comment
11321 100 4O-AOK Montenegro Airways. This F100 made its last flight for the airline before it was shut down. On 231220 it flew a return flight from home base Podgorica to Ljubljana as MGX180/181.
11407 100 9A-BTD EP-NFA Karun Airlines. Seen with its Iranian registration in Ahwaz in December 2020; the aircraft is named 'Abadan'. Made its first scheduled flight Ahwaz-Tehran-Khark-Shiraz on 7 January 2021.
11452 100 D-AOLG VH-*** Avanti Air. Sold to Network Aviation (QantasLink) for delivery in October 2021
11505 100 D-AOLH VH-*** Avanti Air. Sold to Network Aviation (QantasLink) for delivery in January 2021
11545 70 VH-JFE Alliance Airlines. This F70 is carrying large "Reds official airline partner" titles for advertising a 3-year sponsor contract with the Queensland Rugby Union, locally known as the Reds.

One of the former WDL Aviation Friendships that was stored for a long time at Köln-Bonn airport was transferred to Butzweilerhof a few months ago, the historical aerodrome in Cologne. D-AELM (10450) will be on display there in the vicinity of some old airport buildings which have a monument status now. Hopefully the F27 will get some more color in due time. (Iberiachub on WikimediaCommons, Köln-Butzweilerhof, 2 October 2020)

 

The School of Aeronautics in Neemrana, some 100 km southwest of New Delhi, India, possesses two Friendships that are in use for cabin and engineering training, respectively. VT-EWK (10603) is a former East-West Airlines Mark 500RF and is now painted in a brown Flugleidir-like scheme (Shivam Koli at Google; Neemrana, August 2019). The other is Mark 200 VT-SSC (10674) that has retained the livery of Elbee Airlines. (School of Aeronautics at Google; Neemrana, May 2018)

 

The aviation scene in East Africa continues to evolve. According to this photograph F50 5Y-SMS (20112) is currently flying for Somalian airline SOM Express Airways, probably on lease from Skyward Express. (KasmaalMedia on Facebook, unknown location, 5 November 2020)

 

Somalian Maandeeq Airlines has apparently adopted a new house style. At least their F50 5Y-SMT (20177) is now adorned with a red eagle logo on the tail. (KasmaalMedia on Facebook, unknown location, 27 December 2020)

 

Another airline in Somalia is Fly National Air, who have applied modest titles and a tail logo on F50 5Y-JWX (20209). (Cabdi Nuur Cismaan Aadam on Facebook, Beledweyne airport, 25 November 2020)

 

Recently Amapola Flyg visited Oostende airport several times for cargo flights. Just before Christmas, their F50 SE-LFS (20216) paid a short visit in the evening, making this very nice picture possible. (Wout Goossens, Oostende, 23 December 2020)

 

The newest F100 in the Karun Airlines fleet (11407) has recently received its Iranian registration EP-NFA, visible on the nosewheel door and under the wing, as as well as the current corporate livery. (Ehsan BG, Tehran-Mehrabad, 9 January 2021)

 

The latest addition to the Alliance Airlines Fokker fleet is F70 VH-NUY (11560), which was delivered to Australia in November 2020 as the very last of the former Austrian Airlines Fokker fleet. The aircraft is now in regular service. (Lloyd Fox, Brisbane, 24 December 2020)

 

Credits

All photographers, Aviator.aero, CH-Aviation, Merv Crowe, Jetphotos.net, Thomas Jung, Scramble, Skyliner, Svenskt Flyhistoriskt Forum, Jacques Vooren, Henk Wadman, Chris Witt.