BLACKWATER FOUNDER’S KENYAN AVIATON HOLDING GET CHARTER LICENCE FOR CHINA
(Posted 27th May 2014)
The investment in two Kenyan aviation companies, first in Kijipwa Aviation in Kilifi and more recently in Phoenix Aviation in Nairobi, seems to have borne immediate fruits when Phoenix, according to a notice published by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority had their air service licence amended to include non-scheduled flights from Kenya to destinations in China for both passengers and cargo.
There has been speculation why FSG, where Blackwater Founder Erik Prince is chairman of the board of directors, would buy into Kenyan aviation companies, reportedly holding a 49 percent stake in the two firms but this latest development is opening the door wide fueling rumours from the Wilson airport grapevine like rarely before.
The recent visit by China’s Premier and the signing of multi-billion US Dollar deals, which also saw a Chinese airline take a stake in Astral Aviation, has clearly opened the doors for expanded business opportunities and establishing more aviation links is seen as a prerequisite to facilitate business travel and shipment of goods. It is not known at this stage when Phoenix intends to start flight and in particular what aircraft the airline intends to use as their present fleet does not include long range wide bodied jets but rather Cessna Citation business jets, Beechcraft King Air’s and Cessna Grand Caravan’s among others.
National airline Kenya Airways will later this year expand their scheduled services with flights to Shanghai and Beijing, over and above their present daily service to Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
Watch this space for breaking and regular aviation news from across Eastern Africa.
