Cameroonian carrier Camair-Co (QC) on Wednesday 4 July signed a deal worth CFA61billion (USD$115million) for three Xian MA-60 turboprop aircraft with the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) that will see the first one delivered in September. In addition, AVIC will also provide spare parts and training.
What is noteworthy however, is that the Cameroonian Government will only pay for two whilst the third aircraft will come 'free' as part of a lulzy 'Buy 2 Get 1 Free' deal that seems to be popular in Africa at the moment. With this latest acquisition of the Chinese aircraft, Camair-Co will join Air Zimbabwe, Air Burundi, Air Congo International, Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) and a host of African air forces that use the type.
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| Camair-Co B767 in Douala, Cameroon. (Camair) |
Despite a tough first year in the air, Camair-Co aims to become profitable by 2014, although it will require
considerably greater size and scale before that target becomes tangible. Presently, Camair-Co's fleet consists of 3 aircraft: a Boeing 767-300 and two B737-700s (leased from the Aviation Capital Group) whilst its route network stretches from Cameroon to Chad, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Benin, Equatorial Guinea and France with flights to Nigeria and Congo (Kinshasa) to be added imminently.
