Aviation

Charted plane by the French Army smashes into the sea off the Ivory Coast after taking off in the thunderstorm

According to the daily mail and Reuters reports. At least four people died when a 42-year-old Soviet-built cargo aircraft crashed into the ocean moments after leaving Abidjan, capital city of the Ivory Coast.

The aircraft, which was carrying cargo for the French military broke up after crashing onto the beach.

Several members of the crew survived according to reports on local media. The airport management company confirmed that six of the crew were injured with two of them in a serious condition.

The Soviet-built Antonov AN-26 crashed moments after taking off from the Ivory Coast capital of Abidjan while carrying cargo for the French military killing at least four people

Thousands of people made their way to the crash site to watch the rescue operation

Firefighters and rescue divers removed two bodies from the plane, which had broken into several pieces and come to rest near the beach. Two other bodies were visible in the wreckage.

Ivorian officials confirmed there are four French citizens among the injured

Investigators believe the Antonov An-26 crashed into the ocean while trying to take off in a thunderstorm from the runway at the international airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Another witness saw two injured survivors.

The crash occurred during a storm with heavy rain and lightning and rescuers were hampered by rough seas. Though Abidjan’s airport is located in a heavily populated area, it did not appear there were any victims on the ground.

The name of the company operating the aircraft was not immediately known.

The airport in Abidjan, a city of around 5 million people, is a busy regional transportation hub. It is also used by the French military which operates a logistics base there in support of an anti-Islamist militant operation in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Courtesy : daily mail and Reuters

Aviation

Aeroflot Buys Used Planes for Spare Parts Amid Sanctions

In the face of ongoing Western sanctions that have severely impacted Russia’s aviation industry, Aeroflot, the country’s largest airline, has devised a strategic plan to bolster its fleet’s spare parts inventory.

The airline is set to acquire five Boeing 737-800BCF freighters from Atran Airlines, a move that will allow it to dismantle the aircraft for critical components. The planes, which will be transferred to Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, will not be converted into passenger jets but instead will be stripped for valuable parts to support existing operations.

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Aeroflot’s plan to purchase these Boeing 737-800BCF freighters comes as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, which have crippled the Russian aviation sector. With the sanctions restricting access to essential aircraft parts and spare components, Aeroflot is exploring alternative ways to maintain and repair its fleet.

Instead of converting the freighters from cargo to passenger planes, a process deemed “unreasonably expensive” under current sanctions, the airline intends to focus on extracting high-value components such as engines, landing gear, avionics, and other essential systems.

The deal will be structured in a way that allows Aeroflot to indirectly purchase the freighters through an insurance settlement with the aircraft’s lessor, AerCap.

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The Russian government’s insurance company will reimburse the aircraft’s value, and the planes will then be leased back to local operators. This method circumvents some of the restrictions imposed by international sanctions while ensuring that the airline gains access to the necessary components to support its fleet.

By dismantling the aircraft for spare parts, Aeroflot aims to secure critical resources for the ongoing maintenance of its existing fleet. Components from the Boeing 737-800BCF freighters, such as engines and avionics, are expected to be reused in other aircraft within Aeroflot’s network, ensuring that the airline can keep its operations running smoothly