The central African nation of Chad will launch its new national airline Oct. 1 after documents setting it up were signed by the nation’s government and Ethiopian Airlines.
Chad is one of four countries in which Ethiopian has said it will help establish new national carriers by the end of this year.
Documents formally creating Chadian Airlines were initialed by the Chadian minister of civil aviation, Mahamat Taher Rozzi and Ethiopian’s commercial director, Busera Awel, in N’Djamena, Chad’s capital.
The impoverished African state has been without a national airline since 2012, when the previous carrier, Toumai Air Chad, went bankrupt.
According to local media reports, Chadian Airlines will be owned 51% by the government of Chad, with Ethiopian Airlines taking a 49% stake.
Media reports quoted Rozzi as saying the new carrier will initially serve domestic routes, followed by expansion to the surrounding region and then further afield in central Africa and the Middle East.
Chad only has a single fully fledged airport, N’Djamena International, with rough airstrips being scattered throughout the rest of the country.
Rozzi was quoted as saying that Chad wanted to take advantage of Ethiopian Airlines’ experience to set up its new airline, following two earlier failed attempts to do so.
Details were not given of the new airline’s initial equipment.
By Alan Dron
Source: m.atwonline.com
