Friday, August 23, 2024 Gabon’s new national airline, FlyGabon, is set to launch commercial flights by the end of this month, focusing initially on domestic routes. This launch is a significant step in the government’s broader strategy to rejuvenate the Gabonese aviation sector. The initiative follows the government’s acquisition of a controlling interest in Afrijet through Fly Gabon Holding.
As a result, Afrijet will now operate under two separate brands: FlyGabon for domestic flights and Afrijet for regional services. Plans are underway for FlyGabon to expand its operations to international destinations by year-end, with Johannesburg being a primary target. FlyGabon will start with a single ATR 72-600 aircraft, capable of seating 72 passengers, with a second aircraft expected to join the fleet by the end of September.
The inaugural flight is scheduled for August 31. Additionally, the government intends to add an Airbus A320 to the fleet before the year concludes, specifically for international routes. Gabon’s previous flag carrier, Gabon Airlines, operated from 2007 until its closure in 2012, with unsuccessful relaunch attempts in 2015.
Prior to that, Air Gabon served as the national airline from 1977 until its bankruptcy in 2006. Current data from OAG Schedules Analyser indicates that Afrijet is presently Gabon’s largest airline, controlling 34.3% of all departure seats within and from the Central African nation.
Other carriers operating in Gabon include Ethiopia.