Fly540 Angola close to commence Operations by end of 2010, Fly540 Ghana to launch in 2011

Fly540 Angola close to commence Operations by end of 2010, Fly540 Ghana to launch in 2011

Lonrho is due to start operating the first private commercial airline in Angola, with daily flights due to begin next week, the chief executive of the group said whilst presenting the group’s results for the financial year ending in September.



"We are going to start operating flights from Luanda to Cabinda and to Soyo next week," said David Lenigas, adding that initially the company would operate with a single aircraft, with a further two due to arrive in angola in four to six weeks.

Lonrho, which is a stakeholding company with assets in 17 African countries, already owns Fly540, an airline operating in Kenya since 2006, and competition in Angola is made up of charter flight companies.

"The demand for an international standard domestic and regional airline in the booming Angolan economy is clearly evident. The establishment of Fly540 Angola and the process of launching the first private sector International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) registered airline for Angola has been a long and difficult procedure. This has involved the training and education of staff to the standards required for an international airline. Fly540 Angola should commence commercial operation by the end of 2010",the company said on its website.

The chief executive of Lonrho also said that in the first quarter of 2011, Fly54 would set up a regional operation in the capital of Ghana, Accra, from where it would fly to Senegal and Equatorial Guinea.