The erratic history of BOAG’s Boeing 747
(Nederlandse versie: boag komt binnenkort?) 

It has been reported that BOAG Air as a new South-African airline will start up weekly flights from Belgium’s Ostend Airport to several African destinations. BOAG took an option on a B747-200F, but the transaction is still not finalized, nor is the Air transport Operating Certificate (AOC) which allows BOAG to fly. The Boeing (cn 21541/332) registered as S2-ADT and currently listed as being the sole aircraft that belongs to Air Bangladesh, is stored at Manston Airport and waiting to get new colours.

After having flown for Kuwait Airways as 9K-ADA and for Kalitta Air as N707CK, the Boeing was sold to the controversial Mr Luke Butler, an Australian who after his airline company Global Air went bankrupt, took refuge in Ghana to escape from his creditors and the Australian authorities. Mr Butler then married a Ghanaian women and he is currently trying to start a new airline business, so far unsuccessfully.

Apparently the Boeing 747 switched in July 2004 its old Global Air registration N801KH for the new Air Bangladesh one, S2-ADT, but still didn’t get rid of the old Kalitta colours. Air Bangladesh is an obscure company linked with old staff of the short-lived UK airline, Airfreight Express (1999-2002), whose AOC has been suspended by UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. Who exactly is behind the company, is unclear. However, the plane’s career for Air Bangladesh was also very short-lived. The plane was delivered to Air Bangladesh in August 2004 and had its last flight in February from Amsterdam to Manston.

As from December the Air Bangladesh B747 is offered for sale by Langdon Asset Management and is still on the list of ‘Aircraft for Sale or Lease’. (1)

During the Global Air and Air Bangladesh periods, maintenance didn’t seem to be a first priority. Consequently, the aircraft was in November grounded for almost two weeks after a safety inspection in Maastricht/Beek.

Meanwhile an Antwerp pilot training company is recruiting for newcomer BOAG Air, B747-200F captains, first officers, flight engineers and loadmasters. A couple of years ago there was a similar start-up plan initiated by South-African investors, using Belgian consultancy to sort things out, but without any palpable result. The BOAG adventure might simply be another trial to probe the European aviation market, as it seems unusual to recruit crew before having an AOC and aircraft availability.