The impending arrival of an Embraer 170 forms part of attempts to revive Air Burkina, the national carrier of Burkina Faso.
The airline has been grounded since April through shortage of funds. According to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database, the national carrier currently has two aircraft, neither of which are in operation. A Boeing 737-500 is parked, while a single Embraer 175 is stored.
Prior to suspending services, Air Burkina operated one domestic route, together with flights to seven other West African nations.
Outgoing transport minister Roland Somda, in one of his last acts in post, said earlier this month in Ouagadougou, capital of the landlocked West African state, that the government has acquired a new aircraft, an E170, from an unnamed Chinese operator, with the aim of having it in service by September.
According to the country’s official press outlet, the Burkina Faso Information Agency, Somda added that the new aircraft would be owned by Air Burkina, rather than being leased, as has been the case with the company’s equipment until now. Somda told parliamentarians that leasing was not a lasting solution.
He added that a technical team had travelled to China to check the aircraft. Tests had been completed satisfactorily and all that remained was to finalize the procurement procedure with Burkina Faso’s finance ministry.
Like many small African airlines, Air Burkina has suffered from financial problems for years; in July, a potential financial backer, Investment Faso New, told the country’s prime minister, Me Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambèla, that it has the support of a partner wishing to invest significant sums to revive Air Burkina. The prime minister indicated that several proposals were on the table and that a study would be carried out to choose the best option.
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