Aviation firm to acquire more planes to fly local routes

By Eric Akasa.

Aircraft Leasing Services (ALS) Ltd has unveiled an expansion plan that includes acquiring more aircraft and launching scheduled flights on local and regional

Chief Executive Cornwell Muleya said the company will this year acquire two 50-seater Embraer planes and increase the number next year. “More customers are asking for bigger aircraft and travel increases locally and within the East and central Africa region,” Muleya says when ALS staff received the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Safety Management Systems (SMS) certification. “The 50-seaters are easier and economical to operator on these shorter routes.”

ALS, which runs a fleet of over 25 aircraft that it leases to organizations and airlines, said it would soon start its own flights to strategic routes like Kitale, Garissa and Malindi in what is likely to spark fierce competition with other airlines already operating on the routes. He said ALS was in talks with some airlines for cooperation deals on some routes.

The IATA-SMS certification recognizes the aircraft leasing company’s commitment to safety in the increasingly sensitive aviation industry. The certificates were awarded to 13 ALS employees by IATA regional head for East Africa Hassim Pondor, who noted that Africa still led in air accidents globally.

Safety Management System training ensures that an aviation company is proactive in assessing and dealing with the hazards associated with its operations. “We are committed to the safety of our customers and employees,” points out Mr Muleya. “And this places the company high on the list of companies who consider safety to critical and we expect this to bring us more business.”He adds

ALS Ltd was admitted to IATA in September last year, after passing the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which is the benchmark in assessing the management and control systems of an airline. IATA is the world’s umbrella body for airlines and aviation-related businesses and admission to it is taken as a vote of confidence in air safety standards.

He said the benefits of the training were already being seen in its safety management techniques and procedures which had improved significantly. The company spends about $100,000 (Sh8.4 million) annually on training its staff in SMS and upgrading its emergency and response procedures and upgrading safety equipment.

With this expansion, he said, safety management had become even more important for ALS. “Heads of departments have already been trained in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Safety Management Systems. All the crew and operations staff undergo in-house safety training yearly,”he remarks.