8 Aug 2016

COLOMBE Air Line welcomes its first ATR72 aircraft to be operated in Burkina Faso

AELIS Group has arranged the Lease Purchase of the ATR72-202 SN 373 owned by FITS Aviation from Sri Lanka to COLOMBE Air Line, a regional start-up in Burkina Faso.

After ferry flight, the aircraft will be based in Ouagadougou to serve the domestic and regional market on a regular schedule. SN 373 was prepared and delivered in Kuala Lumpur on the 23rd July 2016, this is the first aircraft in full operation for the COLOMBE Air Line. This is the 3rd new ATR operator that AELIS Group has served in 2016, extending the operator base of ATR to a new airline and a new country. AELIS Group has arranged the transaction with its continuous support up to delivery of the Aircraft, and will continue to be involved through its Asset & Lease Management Solution.

“We are looking forward to all new horizons opening for us with this bird, and we are excited to start operating the Aircraft in the Burkinabe market by providing a unique solution focused on safety and quality of service,” said Pascal Tigahire, Colombe’s President.

"We are very pleased to have worked with AELIS’ team on our ATR72 transaction, going forward we appreciate keeping this strong working relationship and growing our business. We congratulate COLOMBE Airline for this acquisition and wish them success in their operations," said Shafik Kassim, FITS Aviation’s CEO.

“Congratulations to COLOMBE Air Line and FITS team for this key milestone achievement! We are happy to count a new member in the ATR family, a new client in the AELIS portfolio, and the renewed confidence of FITS Aviation. We wish COLOMBE Air Line a smooth start to their operations, and plenty of happy frequent flyers,” said Jean-Philippe Louis, AELIS Group’s COO.