Fokkernews May 2025 (issue 89)

General news

Skyward Airlines has plans to base one Fokker jet in Kinshasa, DR Congo, as an expansion to their services.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines is moving forward with plans to introduce eight new E190 E2s in October 2025. They will serve as F100 replacements as well as for network growth.

Fokker F27, Fokker 50 & Fokker 60

c/n type new registration registration comment
20108 50 ET-AYZ Red Stars Aviation. Most likely this F50 is now identified as former Skyward 5Y-SED. Confirmation is still required; see also 20232 below.
20119 50F 5Y-JWY Jetways. Seen at Mogadishu 4 May 2025, white with a green large cargo door.
20145 50 5Y-MMA Salaam Air. Noted on 28 April 2025 at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta on its daily flight to Mandera.
20197 50F 5Y-JWB United Nations, operated by Renegade Air. This F50 is quite active in East Africa on humanitarian flights. It was noted in Djibouti on 21 April and Mogadishu 3, 6 and 8 May 2025.
20203 50 5Y-IFY Maandeeq Air. Seen at Mogadishu 3 May 2025.
20214 50 5Y-WFD Buff Air. Noted parked at Mogadishu on 3 May 2025, all white, missing the right-hand propeller.
20232 50 ET-AZG Red Stars Aviation. The identity of this F50 is presumably known now. It is likely former Skyward 5Y-JXJ, but definitive confirmation is still required (see also 20108 above).
20243 50 5Y-WFB Buff Air or Minair? Seen active at Mogadishu 28 April and 3 May 2025, in basic Flugleidir c/s without any titles.
20249 50 5Y-FAS Freedom Airline. Seen on 4 May 2025 at Mogadishu.
20261 50 6O-JAF Jubba Airways. Noted in service at Mogadishu on 2 May 2025.
20306 50 HP-1899PST Air Panama. In the evening of 16 May 2025 the F50 performed flight PST982 from Panama City Albrook-Marcos Gelabert International airport to Bocas del Toro airport. After landing on the wet runway 27 the aircraft veered off to the right at 21:01 (local time). Once on soft ground, the undercarriage was torn off and the airplane slid for a few dozens of metres. The right wing was sheared off after colliding with a fence and the airplane came to a halt with the empennage separated from the fuselage. There were no fatalities among the 3 crew and 35 passengers, but 12 people were injured. The F50 was substantially damaged, beyond repair.
20307 50 5Y-NWA Star Airline. Seen on 3 May 2025, active at Mogadishu.

Fokker F28, Fokker 70 & Fokker 100

c/n type new registration registration comment
11074 1000C TC-52 Argentine Air Force, operating for Lineas Aereas Del Estado. Reportedly this F28 was retired at El Palomar air base in August 2024 and recently broken up; parts are used to keep sistership TC-53 (11020) in the air. CORRECTION: TC-52 is not broken up; it is temporarily out of service and provides spare parts to TC-53.
11153 3000 1250 Philippine Air Force. The VIP Fellowship is offered for sale, minimum bod is PHP 414,400,000 (approximately 6,5 million Euro). The aircraft is believed to be still airworthy.
11329 100 EP-ATG Iran Aseman Airlines. Appears to be stored at Tehran as from 23 December 2024.
11334 100 VH-FNC Alliance Airlines. On 24 March 2025 flight QQ609 from Brisbane to Mackay diverted back to Brisbane and has not flown since, due to engine issues. Repairs are underway.
11395 100 5Y-SKC Skyward Airlines. Seen at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta 28 April 2025 and Mogadishu 30 April 2025 in full Skyward color scheme.
11406 100 VH-VIF Alliance Airlines. Cancelled from the register on 13 May 2025 as 'withdrawn from use'. The F100 had hardly flown since its arrival in Australia, back in 2017.
11416 100 5Y-SKE Premier Airlines. Noted on 28 April 2025 and 4 May 2025 at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta in all white.
11473 100 P2-AND Air Niugini. Recently cancelled from the register, exact date unknown. The aircraft was in storage at Port Moresby since 2019.
11528 70 5Y-IFB Maandeeq Air. Seen Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta on 28 April 2025 and 3 May 2025, still without titles.
11536 70 5Y-SKX Skyward Airlines. Noted on 4 May 2025 at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta, all white.
11547 70 5Y-KBX Skyward Airlines. Seen Mogadishu on 28 April 2025 in the former Dutch Royal Flight colors.
11559 70 5Y-MMB Salaam Air. Noted at Mogadishu on 3 May 2025, operating for Saacid Airlines, without titles.
11561 70 5Y-SKD Skyward Airlines. Seen 4 May 2025 at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta, white with red tail and tail logo, no titles.
11562 70 5Y-IFA I-Fly Air. Seen at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta on 28 April and at Mogadishu 30 April 2025 in full colors.
11578 70 P2-ANR Air Niugini. After four months of inactivity, the F70 returned into service on 19 February 2025.
11585 70 2-PJAB PJ-JAB Jetair Caribbean. In contrast to sister ship PJ-JAC (see Fokkernews 87), this F70 is still fully intact and continues to receive some maintenance. On 24 May 2025 it was seen with a Guernsey registration and speculations are that it will fly to the Netherlands soon for additional maintenance prior to a career in Africa.
"1234" 100 PS-JUX ANAC, the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority, used this registration in February 2024 for system testing and cancelled it in February 2025 as not taken up. The construction number is evidently fake.

More than 9 years after it concluded its Icelandic career, the first operator of what is now 5Y-WFB (20243) is still evident. There are no marks on the aircraft that reveal its operator. According to some sources this F50 is currently operated by Minair (see Fokkernews 88), but it might also have returned to the Buff Air fleet. (André Alders; Mogadishu, 3 May 2025)

 

On 16 May 2025 Air Panama F50 HP-1899PST (20306) veered off the runway after landing. It came to a halt on soft ground next to the runway. All 38 crew and passengers survived. The aircraft was substantially damaged and will never fly again. (tvn-2 at X; Bocas Del Toro, 17 May 2025)

 

An absolutely unique sight in 2025: half of the world’s currently airworthy F28s in one picture! The last two flying Argentina Air Force F28 Fellowships participated in an air parade for commemorating their baptism of fire during the Falklands conflict. T-51 (11203) is joining the oldest active F28 TC-53 (11020) in a fly-by. (Tadeo Frezzia; Moron air base, 1 May 2025)

 

Compared with the picture in Fokkernews 83 Fokker 100 5Y-SKD (11395) has lost the ‘Belgravia’ promotional decals and is now, as the only Fokker in the Skyward Airlines fleet, flying in the full corporate livery. When this picture was made the F100 was operating for Saacid Airlines, but this fact was not externally visible. (André Alders; Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta, 28 April 2025)

 

After carrying the jolly Trade Air colors for more than 10 years, Skyward Airlines F100 5Y-SKE (11416) recently lost all colors and is now boring white. The aircraft is still flying for Premier Airlines. (André Alders; Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta, 4 May 2025)

 

A new (temporary) registration for Jetair Caribbean F70 PJ-JAB, indicating a pending transaction to a new operator. (Myroneal Parris; Curaçao, 24 May 2025)

 

Credits

All photographers named above, Air-Britain News, AMCAR, André Alders, ATDB newsletter, Aviation Herald, Aviation Safety Network, Aviator.aero, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Merv Crowe, Frank Ellemers, F28 blogspot, FlightAware, Walter de Groot, Jan Homma, Greg Hyde, William Musculus, Mads Oyen, Planespotters, Lars Smithuis, Jacques Vooren, Henk Wadman.