Safe Air (K3, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) is expanding its fleet with two B777-200ERs which will significantly expand its operational capacity and services to clients in the ACMI and charter market, says chairman Mohamed Hussein Al-Sheiba.
The Kenyan ACMI/charter specialist has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with UK-based aviation brokerage firm Air Charter Service (ACS) for the two B777-200ERs on a 36-month operating lease basis. The first unit, N837KW (msn 32896), is scheduled to enter service in November 2023, while the second, N836KW (msn 33395), will be delivered in early December 2023. Both aircraft are owned by Alta Airlines Holdings and were previously operated by JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda) before they were stored at Mojave, according to ch-aviation fleets data. They will be utilised within the ACMI and charter markets.
"The addition of the B777-200 aircraft will reinforce Safe Air's position as a regional player in the African aviation industry," commented Hussein Al-Sheiba. "Safe Air's decision to acquire these B777-200 aircraft represents a strategic move to expand its fleet and cater to growing regional demands. By incorporating these aircraft into its operations, Safe Air aims to enhance its capabilities in meeting the diverse needs of its clients."
Meanwhile, Safe Air is also wet-leasing an A330-200, JU-1332 (msn 272), from Mongolian carrier Eznis Airways (MG, Ulaanbaatar) for Hajj pilgrimage flights. ADS-B data shows the aircraft was delivered to Safe Air in Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta from Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) on April 13. At the time, Safe Air declined to comment when approached by ch-aviation.
On April 30, JU-1332 was flown to Djibouti to repatriate 197 evacuees fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan, according to social media posts. Thereafter, it has flown sporadically to Mogadishu (Somalia). On June 9, it started regular Hajj charter flights from N'Djamena (Chad) to Madinah (Saudia Arabia), and from June 20, from Nairobi to Jeddah International (Saudi Arabia).
Safe Air's current fleet also comprises one B727-200 and two B727-200(F)s, according to the ch-aviation fleets module. It previously used two A321-200s wet-leased on an ad-hoc basis from Fly2Sky (F6, Sofia) for passenger charters out of Dubai International (UAE).
Safe Air previously disclosed plans to dry-lease two A330s to start scheduled international flights. The plan was to use the A330s for Hajj charters and to venture into scheduled operations to undisclosed international destinations. In May 2022, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) granted Safe Air non-scheduled domestic and international air service licences for passengers, cargo, and mail to operate within Kenya and to points in Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
