Djibouti Airlines

Djibouti Airlines was a Djiboutian air carrier based in Djibouti City and operating from Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport. The airline was established on 1 February 1996 by Moussa Rayaleh, identified in reference material as a former director of Puntavia. It formed part of Djibouti's small commercial aviation sector and operated regional scheduled services as well as ad hoc charter work. Its business model relied on wet-leased aircraft rather than a consistently documented wholly owned fleet, allowing it to use aircraft and crews supplied through leasing arrangements for particular operations. The carrier served the Horn of Africa and nearby regional markets, although the available reference material does not provide a complete route list or a reliable account of the frequency and duration of individual services. Its operational base at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport placed it within an important regional aviation environment linking Djibouti with neighboring states and the wider Gulf of Aden area. The airline's operations included both passenger and cargo activity. Aircraft types associated with its fleet in June 2009 included the Antonov An-12, Antonov An-24RV, Ilyushin Il-18, and Ilyushin Il-76, while accident records also identify a Let L-410 Turbolet and an Antonov An-26 used in its operations. Djibouti Airlines experienced two serious accidents documented in the available sources. On 17 March 2002, a Let L-410 Turbolet registered as J2-KBC crashed into the Gulf of Aden shortly before landing at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport after a flight from Aden Adde International Airport. All four people aboard were killed. On 27 July 2007, an Antonov An-26 cargo aircraft crash-landed near Shinile, Ethiopia, after an engine failure shortly after departing Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport for Djibouti. One of the nine people aboard died. The airline's commercial transport license was revoked on 30 July 2009. The available material does not establish whether the carrier subsequently resumed operations under the same name, and the license revocation is the clearest documented endpoint of its commercial airline activity. Djibouti Airlines is therefore treated as a defunct former airline rather than an active carrier. No dependable information is available in the supplied sources about its later corporate ownership, financial performance, successor organization, website, or a complete list of destinations.

Djibouti Airlines was founded on 1 February 1996 by Moussa Rayaleh, who had previously been a director of Puntavia. The company was established as a Djiboutian airline at a time when the country's geographic position near the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa offered opportunities for regional air transport. Its base was Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti City. The airline operated a combination of regional scheduled services and ad hoc charter flights. Reference material describes its aircraft as wet leased, meaning that aircraft were supplied together with crews, maintenance, and insurance by another operator or leasing provider. This approach enabled the airline to conduct operations without relying exclusively on a large independently owned fleet. The available account does not provide a complete list of routes or identify all wet-lease partners. Djibouti Airlines' operations included passenger and cargo activity. Aircraft types recorded in the fleet as of June 2009 were the Antonov An-12, Antonov An-24RV, Ilyushin Il-18, and Ilyushin Il-76. Accident records additionally associate the company with a Let L-410 Turbolet and an Antonov An-26. The mix of aircraft indicates that the carrier's activities extended beyond conventional regional passenger service and included cargo or other charter operations requiring larger transport aircraft. The company suffered a fatal accident on 17 March 2002. A Let L-410 Turbolet registered J2-KBC crashed into the Gulf of Aden shortly off the runway threshold at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport while attempting to land after a flight from Aden Adde International Airport. All four people aboard were killed. A second serious accident occurred on 27 July 2007, when a Djibouti Airlines Antonov An-26 cargo aircraft crash-landed in a field near Shinile, Ethiopia. The aircraft had departed Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport for Djibouti after an engine failure; one of the nine people aboard died. On 30 July 2009, Djibouti Airlines' commercial transport license was revoked. The supplied reference material does not describe the regulatory reasons for the revocation, any appeal, or any subsequent restart under the same brand. It also does not document a formal successor, acquisition, liquidation process, or later ownership. On the basis of the license revocation and the absence of evidence of continuing operations in the reference material, Djibouti Airlines is classified as a defunct former airline. Its historical significance lies primarily in its role as a Djiboutian regional and charter operator during the 1990s and 2000s, rather than as a surviving international airline brand.

• 2009

  Commercial transport license revoked

  [1]Djibouti Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Djibouti revoked the airline's commercial transport license on 30 July 2009.

• 2007

  Fatal Antonov An-26 cargo accident

  [1]Djibouti Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  An Antonov An-26 cargo aircraft crash-landed near Shinile, Ethiopia, after an engine failure; one of nine occupants died.

• 2002

  Fatal Let L-410 accident

  [1]Djibouti Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  A Let L-410 Turbolet crashed into the Gulf of Aden while attempting to land at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, killing all four people aboard.

• 1996

  Airline established

  [1]Djibouti Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Moussa Rayaleh established Djibouti Airlines on 1 February 1996.

A regional Djiboutian carrier focused on scheduled and charter air services in the Horn of Africa, using wet-leased aircraft for passenger and cargo operations.

• Passenger air transport · 1996

  Regional scheduled passenger services

  Djibouti Airlines operated regional scheduled passenger flights from its base at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport. The available reference material does not provide a complete destination list, route map, or timetable, but identifies the carrier as a regional operator serving the Horn of Africa and nearby markets.

• Charter air transport

  Ad hoc charter services

  In addition to scheduled flying, the airline conducted ad hoc charter operations. These services appear to have been supported by wet-leased aircraft, allowing capacity and aircraft type to vary according to operational requirements. Specific charter customers and contracts are not identified in the available sources.

• Air cargo

  Cargo air transport

  Djibouti Airlines operated cargo aircraft, including an Antonov An-26 associated with a 2007 accident and larger aircraft types recorded in its June 2009 fleet listing. The available sources do not specify its cargo network, customers, or freight volumes.

• 2009

  Commercial transport license revocationOther

  Background

  Djibouti Airlines was operating scheduled and charter services with wet-leased aircraft, but the available source does not state the regulatory grounds for the action.

  Action taken

  The airline's commercial transport license was revoked on 30 July 2009.

  Aftermath

  The supplied material does not document a subsequent restoration of the license or a resumption of operations under the Djibouti Airlines name.

  Source

1. 1Djibouti Airlinesen.wikipedia.org