Air Djibouti takes flight

Thursday August 14, 2015–Just three months after announcing the re-boot of Air Djibouti, the carrier relaunched on Aug. 10, carrying six tonnes of cargo from Djibouti to Hargeisa, in a region of Somalia now called Somaliland.

Life was breathed into Air Djibouti once again with the help of Cardiff Aviation, whose chairman is Bruce Dickinson (pictured), a 757 and 737 pilot and instructor, who also happens to be the lead singer for heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

Djibouti is located geographically on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes – at the confluence of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, not far from the Suez Canal – and at the air crossroads for cargo traffic between Asia and Europe. The government of Djibouti wants the country to become a regional hub for forwarding goods arriving at its seaport by air. According toThe Telegraph, Cardiff Aviation said Air Djibouti had asked for its support in developing key markets, which Djibouti said were based on the needs of landlocked neighbors, government aid programs and the support of military installations. Djibouti is home to several military bases, including those of the United States, France and Japan.

Next week, flights are scheduled to the Somali capital of Mogadishu; Juba, South Sudan; and Nairobi, Kenya. Right now, the company has only one aircraft, but it is due to take delivery of five aircraft later this year, including a 767,737 and 757. It also plans to begin passenger service in November with connections to Paris, London, Dubai and Mumbai.