Wales-based aircraft services and MRO provider, Cardiff Aviation, has announced it has ended its contract with the Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority (DPFZA) concerning its involvement in Air Djibouti (DJ, Djibouti).
Under the terms of its MOU with the DPFZA signed in May 2015, Cardiff Aviation was tasked with securing and managing a European-level Air Operators Certificate (AOC) for Air Djibouti in addition to sourcing aircraft and providing operational management for the new African carrier.
“A new CEO, Abdourahman Ali Abdillahi has been appointed in Djibouti who will be overseeing an airline that has seen a steady increase in loads throughout the set-up process and important airline partnership agreements initiated, so we hope that trend will continue,” Cardiff Aviation chairman Bruce Dickinson said.
Ahead of Cardiff Aviation's impending departure, Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tewolde Gebremariam had said his airline was in talks over a possible partnership with Air Djibouti.
A virtual carrier, Air Djibouti has relied on chartered capacity since its inception. As such, it is currently chartering a BAe 146-300 from South Africa's Fair Aviation (FAV, Johannesburg Lanseria). The Djibouti government's B767-200(ER), which is currently in Cardiff ICAO!EGDX undergoing maintenance and reconfiguration, is due to become the airline's maiden widebody. Its delivery date has yet to be given however.
