GHANAIAN AIRLINE ‘ STARBOW’ ACQUIRES TWO ADDITIONAL BAe 146 AIRCRAFT FROM FALKO TO OPERATE ON REGIONAL AND DOMESTIC SERVICES

February 29, 2012 flight2000it

Aero Surveys Limited, a Ghanaian regional carrier, operating under the commercial name ”Starbow” and based in the capital Accra, has acquired two additional BAe 146 regional jetliners for use on regional and domestic routes. The aircraft, one BAe 146-300 and one BAe 146-200 will double its fleet size to four aircraft and will add additional capacity to satisfy increasing demand.

Starbow started domestic operations in Ghana on Monday 26 September 2011 with its maiden flight to Kumasi. Starbow’s patronage has increased overwhelmingly since it commenced operations with two BAe 146-300s and it now serves the domestic centres of Kumasi with 16 flights a week, Tamale with 7 flights a week and Takoradi with 5 flights a week.

Regionally, Starbow plans to offer, direct air services from Accra, Ghana to the capital cities of neighbouring countries in the second quarter of 2012 namely, Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, Monrovia in Liberia and Cotonou in Benin.

Starbow is leasing the aircraft from Riva Investments Limited, a lessor based in the British Virgin Islands, which has purchased the two aircraft (msns E3183; E2059) from Falko Regional Aircraft Limited with deliveries of the aircraft anticipated in May 2012.

Due to the aircraft’s rugged construction, ease of maintenance and unique operational performance Starbow believes the aircraft is well suited for the regional routes planned by the airline. In addition, the exceptional performance of the BAe 146 extends the aircraft’s potential into airfields only previously accessible by turboprop airliners.