ALS signs aircraft lease agreement with Southern Star
Nairobi, Friday, September 2, 2011 – Kenyan-based aircraft leasing company, ALS Ltd, has signed a one-year lease agreement with Southern Star, a new startup airline based in the newly created South Sudan state. The aircraft, a 37-seater Dehavilland Dash 8, is valued at US$4.5 million (about Kshs400m) and will cost the South Sudanese airline approximately US$200,000 (Kshs18 million) per month in leasing fees.
source: http://www.the-star.co.ke/
“This is expected to be a long-term partnership with the new start-up airline that is vying for national carrier status for the new republic of South Sudan,” said ALS chief executive officer Cornwell Muleya during the signing ceremony held in the South Sudan capital, Juba, when it took delivery of the aircraft.
Southern Star will use the plane to ply domestic routes in the first phase of the lease. The second phase will incorporate larger aircraft from ALS such as the Embraer 145, a 50-seater jet, which can do international flights, under a long-term lease signed with Southern Star.
Southern Star, a new airline, is vying for national carrier status for the new republic of South Sudan, which will open up more business for ALS. “ALS will be the preferred supplier of additional aircraft to this airline, mainly due its’ IOSA status,” said Mr Muleya.
ALS is also eyeing leasing more aircraft to Southern Star’s cargo division which is being set-up. ALS has leasing agreements with a number of airlines in the region, including Rwandair in Kigali and Safarilink in Kenya
Presently, ALS operate a fleet of 22 aircraft ranging from 19-seater to 37-seater jets and turboprops. New 50-seater aircraft are being introduced, which include the Dash 8 300 turboprops and Embraer 145 jets.
ALS mainly leases to airlines, oil companies and NGO’s/relief organisations. ALS got a major boost in its leasing business when it was recently awarded the IATA Operational safety Audit (IOSA) certification for meeting international aviation safety standards.
IOSA is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the management and control systems of an airline. The IOSA certificate gives ALS recognition as a company with international standards in its operations, management and maintenance control systems. Since its introduction several years ago, the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is the benchmark for global aviation safety.
“ALS will be the preferred supplier of additional aircraft to this airline, mainly due its IOSA status,” said Mr Muleya.