DAS Air Cargo
Encyclopedia
DAS Air Cargo was a Uganda
n cargo airline
based at Entebbe
. It operated all-cargo services between Europe
and 20 cities throughout Africa
, the Middle East
and the Far East
. Entebbe
was a major hub for business in east and southern Africa and also for flights from Bangkok
which stage through Dubai
. Its main bases were London Gatwick Airport
and Entebbe International Airport
, with hubs at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
, Nairobi
, Dubai International Airport
and Murtala Mohammed International Airport
, Lagos
. The European office was at Crawley
, England
In 2006 DAS Air Cargo was banned from conducting flights within the European Union
. On 6 March 2007, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, removed DAS Air Cargo from its list of banned aircraft after they made safety improvements.
The company called in the administrators on 17 September 2007 and all flying stopped. The aircraft is now stored at Manston
, England.
It was announced on 20 November 2007 that Continental Aviation Services (Nigeria) Ltd has bought all of the business and assets (including the sole remaining DC10 aircraft), however the liabilities remain with Das Air Ltd.
The airline was established in 1983 in Ghana
and started operations in June 1983. It initially provided ad hoc charters and wet-lease flying for established operators. In 1987 it began regular cargo services between London and Lagos and Entebbe. In 1990, the DAS Air Cargo USA division was opened to operate cargo operations there for the airline. The division is based in Miami, Florida
, and shares its offices with DAS Air Cargo's main business partner, passenger charter airline First Choice Airways
.
The airline was wholly owned by Joseph Roy (Chairman and Chief Executive) and Daisy Roy (Managing Director) and had 228 employees (at March 2007).
DAS Air Cargo also had an EASA 145 approved maintenance facility at Kent International Airport
in the UK. The facility was used for maintenance on their own aircraft as well as those of World Airways
, Gemini Air Cargo
and Avient Aviation
.
The DAS Air cargo is renowned within the industry as being the company which introduced Darren Farbrace to the world of aircraft engineering. Although said to be directly linked with the closure of a well known airline 40 years ago, has continued to have a strong influence in the industry.
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n cargo airline
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
based at Entebbe
Entebbe
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
. It operated all-cargo services between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and 20 cities throughout Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Entebbe
Entebbe
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
was a major hub for business in east and southern Africa and also for flights from Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
which stage through Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. Its main bases were London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
and Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport is the principal international airport of Uganda.-Location:It is located near the town of Entebbe, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and about from the capital, Kampala...
, with hubs at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
and Murtala Mohammed International Airport
Murtala Mohammed International Airport
Murtala Muhammed International Airport is an international airport located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and is the major airport serving the city of Lagos, southwestern Nigeria and the entire nation. Originally known as Lagos International Airport, it was renamed midway during construction...
, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. The European office was at Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, England
In 2006 DAS Air Cargo was banned from conducting flights within the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. On 6 March 2007, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, removed DAS Air Cargo from its list of banned aircraft after they made safety improvements.
The company called in the administrators on 17 September 2007 and all flying stopped. The aircraft is now stored at Manston
RAF Manston
RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
, England.
It was announced on 20 November 2007 that Continental Aviation Services (Nigeria) Ltd has bought all of the business and assets (including the sole remaining DC10 aircraft), however the liabilities remain with Das Air Ltd.
History
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and started operations in June 1983. It initially provided ad hoc charters and wet-lease flying for established operators. In 1987 it began regular cargo services between London and Lagos and Entebbe. In 1990, the DAS Air Cargo USA division was opened to operate cargo operations there for the airline. The division is based in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, and shares its offices with DAS Air Cargo's main business partner, passenger charter airline First Choice Airways
First Choice Airways
First Choice Airways was a British charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel PLC, based in Crawley, England. It flew to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services were operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer...
.
The airline was wholly owned by Joseph Roy (Chairman and Chief Executive) and Daisy Roy (Managing Director) and had 228 employees (at March 2007).
DAS Air Cargo also had an EASA 145 approved maintenance facility at Kent International Airport
Kent International Airport
Manston - Kent's International Airport is an airport located at Manston in the District of Thanet within Kent, England, northeast of Canterbury. It was formerly called RAF Manston , and was also known as London Manston Airport...
in the UK. The facility was used for maintenance on their own aircraft as well as those of World Airways
World Airways
World Airways, Inc. is an American airline headquartered at the HLH Building in Peachtree City, Georgia. For the most part, the company operates non-scheduled services. Its main aircraft and maintenance base is Tampa International Airport.-History:...
, Gemini Air Cargo
Gemini Air Cargo
Gemini Air Cargo was an American ACMI cargo airline headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, USA. It operated worldwide cargo schedules and charters on a wet-lease basis....
and Avient Aviation
Avient Aviation
Avient Aviation is an international cargo airline with its head office in Harare, Zimbabwe. The company was established in 1993 and offers scheduled and chartered flights to Africa and now operates scheduled services out of its hubs at Liège Airport in Belgium and at Sharjah International Airport...
.
The DAS Air cargo is renowned within the industry as being the company which introduced Darren Farbrace to the world of aircraft engineering. Although said to be directly linked with the closure of a well known airline 40 years ago, has continued to have a strong influence in the industry.
Destinations
- Belgium - Brussels, Ostend
- China- Shanghai
- Finland Hensinki
- France - Basle/Basel, Cahlons
- Ghana - Accra
- Hungary - Budapest
- Italy - Rome
- Malta - Luqa
- Serbia - Belgrade
- South Africa - Johannesburg
- United Kingdom - London-Gatwick, Manchester
- United Arab Emirates - Dubai, Sharajah
Aircraft previously operated
- Boeing 707-320CBoeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30FMcDonnell Douglas DC-10The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...