MK Airlines
Encyclopedia
MK Airlines Ltd.
was a cargo airline
from Ghana
(registered in the United Kingdom
from 2006 onwards, with its headquarters in Hartfield
, East Sussex
), which was operational between 1990 and 2010, concentrating on freight services to and from Africa. The airline routed most of its transported freight via its European bases at Gatwick Airport, Kent International Airport
, Ostend-Bruges International Airport
or Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
. The African hub
was located at OR Tambo International Airport, serving Johannesburg
.
The airline was founded by Michael C. Kruger as MK Air Cargo d'Or in 1990 (MK stands for its founder's initials). Headquartered and registered in Ghana
, a network of cargo flights with hubs at Kotoka International Airport
and Gatwick Airport was set up, which was served with only one aircraft, a Douglas DC-8
. In 1993, the MK Airlines branding was adopted.
Between 1995 and 1996, the headquarters of the airline were located in Nigeria
. From 1999 onwards, MK Airlines expanded its fleet with cargo configured Boeing 747-200 airliners. The last of its DC-8s was put out of service in 2006.
In September 2006, MK Airlines was issued a new airline licence
by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. In November 2007, plans for a rebranding of the airline as British Global were announced. The company had its airline code changed to BGB accordingly, but in March 2008, the rebranding was postponed indefinitely.
Due to financial problems, MK Airlines had to suspend all flight operations on 10 June 2008, and went into administration. After an investment had been received from Trans Atlantic Aviation, a subsidiary of the Belfairs Group, a limited extent of operations could resume on 20 June of that year. Following a reorganization of the airline's funding, bankruptcy administration could be left on 24 June 2009. Plans for an acquisition of more fuel-efficient aircraft of the Boeing 747-400
type could not be realized.
The financial burdens of the company could not be alleviated in the short term. On 9 April 2010, all operations ceased with surrender of the Air Operators Certificate to the UK CAA the same day. An attempt was made to secure a company voluntary arrangement in order to be in a position to apply for a relaunch of operations. The CVA was successfully challenged by creditors as having been irregularly conducted and was rejected by the High Court of Justice
on 5 October 2010.
Private company limited by shares
A private company limited by shares, usually called a private limited company , is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, that of certain Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland...
was a 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:...
from Ghana
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...
(registered in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 2006 onwards, with its headquarters in Hartfield
Hartfield
Hartfield is a civil parish in East Sussex, England. Settlements within the parish include the village of Hartfield, Colemans Hatch, Hammerwood and Holtye, all lying on the northern edge of Ashdown Forest.-Geography:...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
), which was operational between 1990 and 2010, concentrating on freight services to and from Africa. The airline routed most of its transported freight via its European bases at Gatwick Airport, 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...
, Ostend-Bruges International Airport
Ostend-Bruges International Airport
Ostend-Bruges International Airport is located in Ostend, Belgium, near the coast and about 25 km from the city centre of Bruges. Although an important proportion of the activities focuses on freight transport, it is increasingly used for passenger flights, mainly charter and holiday flights...
or Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
Findel Airport is the main airport in Luxembourg.It is Luxembourg's only international airport and is the only airport in the country with a paved runway. It is located away from Luxembourg City....
. The African hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
was located at OR Tambo International Airport, serving Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
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...
, a network of cargo flights with hubs at Kotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, is the country's premier international airport and has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-800...
and Gatwick Airport was set up, which was served with only one aircraft, a Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
. In 1993, the MK Airlines branding was adopted.
Between 1995 and 1996, the headquarters of the airline were located in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. From 1999 onwards, MK Airlines expanded its fleet with cargo configured Boeing 747-200 airliners. The last of its DC-8s was put out of service in 2006.
In September 2006, MK Airlines was issued a new airline licence
Air Operator's Certificate
An air operator's certificate is the approval granted from a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and system in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public...
by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. In November 2007, plans for a rebranding of the airline as British Global were announced. The company had its airline code changed to BGB accordingly, but in March 2008, the rebranding was postponed indefinitely.
Due to financial problems, MK Airlines had to suspend all flight operations on 10 June 2008, and went into administration. After an investment had been received from Trans Atlantic Aviation, a subsidiary of the Belfairs Group, a limited extent of operations could resume on 20 June of that year. Following a reorganization of the airline's funding, bankruptcy administration could be left on 24 June 2009. Plans for an acquisition of more fuel-efficient aircraft of the Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
type could not be realized.
The financial burdens of the company could not be alleviated in the short term. On 9 April 2010, all operations ceased with surrender of the Air Operators Certificate to the UK CAA the same day. An attempt was made to secure a company voluntary arrangement in order to be in a position to apply for a relaunch of operations. The CVA was successfully challenged by creditors as having been irregularly conducted and was rejected by the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
on 5 October 2010.
Fleet
Over the years of its existence, MK Airlines operated the following aircraft types:| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 727-200 | ||
| Boeing 747-200 | ||
| Douglas DC-8 Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company... |
||
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | ||
Accidents and incidents
- On 15 February 1992, an MK Air Cargo d'Or (as the company was called at that time) Douglas DC-8Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
(registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
9G-MKB) crashed and subsequently caught fire while approaching Kano AirportMallam Aminu Kano International AirportMallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same...
on a flight from LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The five persons on board survived the accident. - On 17 December 1996, an MK Airlines DC-8 (registered 9G-MKD) struck trees upon approaching Port Harcourt International AirportPort Harcourt International AirportPort Harcourt International Airport is an international airport located in Omagwa, a suburb of Port Harcourt city in Rivers State, Nigeria. The airport consists of a single terminal with separate facilities for international and domestic flights...
following a flight from LuxemburgLuxemburg* Luxembourg * Luxemburg * Luxemburg, Wisconsin* Luxemburg, IowaFamily name:* Rosa Luxemburg * Wilhelmus Luxemburg...
. The pilots did not manage to perform a go-aroundGo-aroundA go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
, and the aircraft touched down without being fully controlled, causing it to veer off the runway, thus being destroyed beyond repair. The four crew members remained uninjured. - On 27 November 2001, another MK Airlines aircraft (this time a Boeing 747-200 registered 9G-MKI) crashed when decending to Port Harcourt completing a cargo flight from Luxemburg. The copilot who (against aviation safety regulations was solely in charge of the aircraft controls) misjudged the remaining distance to the runway, bringing the airplane down on a field, which resulted in the nose section breaking off. Of the thirteen persons on board, one died in the ensuing fire.
- The crash of Flight 1602MK Airlines Flight 1602MK Airlines Flight 1602 was a MK Airlines Boeing 747-200F cargo flight on a flight from Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia, Canada to Zaragoza Airport, Spain. It crashed on take-off killing the crew of 7....
on 14 October 2004 with its seven fatalities marks the worst accident in the history of MK Airlines. The aircraft involved, a Boeing 747-200 registered 9G-MKJ, did not get airborne upon take-off from Halifax Stanfield International Airport following a fuel stop enroute to ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The runway was overshot, and the airliner broke up and burst into flames. There were no survivors. TSBTransportation Safety Board of CanadaThe Transportation Safety Board of Canada , officially the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board is the agency of the Government of Canada responsible for maintaining...
investigation into the accident revealed that the crew had used a wrong aircraft weight for calculating the necessary take-off thrust.