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Not contending of just celebrating 50 years in air, the DC.8 may provide with your

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  • Not contending of just celebrating 50 years in air, the DC.8 may provide with your

    next business venture as African International is up for sale. Would be really too bad should they don't pick a serious and altogether plane loving purshasor


    By Stuart Todd

    South African-based cargo airline African International Airways, which operates two McDonnell Douglas DC-8 freighters, has been put up for sale.

    African International shareholder Alan Stocks tells flightglobal.com's affiliate ATI: “Myself and business partner, Bernard Keay, are contemplating retirement and this is the main reason for the sale.”

    Stocks adds that some expressions of interest have been shown in the carrier but declines to comment further.

    African International started operations in 1985 in Swaziland and went on to provide supplementary capacity on behalf of scheduled airlines, including more than a decade of flying for Alitalia and several years in the service of British Airways World Cargo.

    It was reorganised in 1988 after Intavia took a stake in the company with a refocus on worldwide cargo charter flights. Shipments transported have included security paper, fresh produce, flowers, auto parts, humanitarian relief cargo for governments and the UN.

    Today, AIA’s core business is in the niche market for the carriage of bloodstock. “A recent flight carried a shipment of cattle from Johannesburg to Nigeria and other flights carry horses and polo ponies into South Africa from South America and Australia,” Stocks says. "The two DC-8s are each clocking up around 1,250 flying hours a year.”


    Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news
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  • #2
    Would retirement of those DC-8s be prudent? I mean, seeing that they are niched into bloodstock transportation (I assume that some retrofit must have taken place), would it make sense to upgrade to newer (read: 'more fuel efficent') aircraft? Or, are these aircraft still relitavely well maintined (and as of such not necessarily needing of replacement) and more-than-likely paid off for?
    Whatever is necessary, is never unwise.

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    • #3
      The DC8....you can't beat them.

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      • #4
        I'm not sure which DC-8 is being used. Anything other than a -70 series is not that fuel efficient.
        The original DC-8 used a non fan JT-4 engine that was very efficient at turning Jet A into noise and soot. The -40 introduced the RR Conway engine, the most efficient engine yet, unfortunately for RR, P&W had a civilian version of the military J-57 with a fan, the JT3-D. Quieter, more thrust, less smoke. The JT3D was the standard engine on all DC-8's from the -50 through -60 series. Many -60's were converted to use CFM-56 engines. These aircraft are very efficient. UPS still operates a large fleet of DC-8-71 and -73 aircraft.

        If the aircraft are not CFM-56 powered, they have very limited value.
        Don
        Standard practice for managers around the world:
        Ready - Fire - Aim! DAMN! Missed again!

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        • #5
          African International's ones are 62Fs, JT3D powered but long, very long range SixtyTwos. The two aircrafts hold the distinction of being the only DC.8s ever registered in South Africa (ZS-three letters) which was a complete Seven-O territory in this regard.
          The carrier has good reasons to pose as a DC.8 specialist. The 62s took over a trio of Swaziland registered F54s which used to fly ad-hoc charters and undertake the afore mentioned third party works. In addition to ZS registrations, the 62Fs probably sparkled the market refocusing of African International as high value bloodstock specialized carrier. Given the old school management still in position, be sure they are all paid off for.
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          • #6
            UPS is retiring their fleet of 44 DC-8s, writing off the cost at 4 million €uro each, guess a lot of spareparts are included.
            "The real CEO of the 787 project is named Potemkin"

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