DAS Air Cargo

DAS Air Cargo was a Ugandan cargo airline based at Entebbe as Dairoo Air Services. It operated all-cargo services between Europe and 20 cities throughout Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. Entebbe was a major hub for business in east and southern Africa and also for flights from Bangkok which stage through Dubai. Its main bases were London Gatwick Airport and Entebbe International Airport, with hubs at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Dubai International Airport and Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.[1] The European office was at Crawley, England

DAS Air Cargo
IATA ICAO Callsign
WD DSR DAIRAIR
Founded1983
Ceased operations2007
HubsLondon Gatwick
Secondary hubsJomo Kenyatta International Airport
Dubai International Airport
Entebbe International Airport
Murtala Mohammed International Airport
HeadquartersEntebbe, Uganda
Websitehttp://www.dasair.com

In 2006 DAS Air Cargo was banned from conducting flights within the European Union. On 6 March 2007, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, removed DAS Air Cargo from its list of banned aircraft after they made safety improvements.[2]

The company called in the administrators on 17 September 2007 and all flying stopped. Their aircraft was stored at Manston, England, which subsequently closed in 2015.

It was announced on 20 November 2007 that Continental Aviation Services (Nigeria) Ltd has bought all of the business and assets (including the sole remaining DC10 aircraft), however the liabilities remain with Das Air Ltd.[3]

History
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (2004)
DC-10 at London Gatwick Airport, England

The airline was established in 1983 in Ghana and started operations in June 1983. It initially provided ad hoc charters and wet-lease flying for established operators.[1] In 1987 it began regular cargo services between London and Lagos and Entebbe. In 1990, the DAS Air Cargo USA division was opened to operate cargo operations there for the airline. The division was based in Miami, Florida, and shared its offices with DAS Air Cargo's main business partner, passenger charter airline First Choice Airways-another airline which later went bankrupt.

The airline was wholly owned by Joseph Roy (Chairman and Chief Executive) and Daisy Roy (Managing Director) and had 228 employees (at March 2007).[1]

DAS Air Cargo also had an EASA 145 approved maintenance facility at Kent International Airport in the UK. The facility was used for maintenance on their own aircraft as well as those of World Airways, Gemini Air Cargo and Avient Aviation.

Destinations
  • Belgium - Brussels, Ostend
  • China- Shanghai
  • Finland Hensinki
  • France - Bâle/Basel, Chalons-Vatry
  • Ghana - Accra
  • Hungary - Budapest
  • Italy - Rome
  • Malta - Luqa
  • Serbia - Belgrade
  • South Africa - Johannesburg
  • United Kingdom - London-Gatwick, Manchester
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai, Sharajah

Fleet

As of October 2007 DAS Air Cargo has no fleet of aircraft:[4]

Aircraft previously operated

References
  1. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 71.
  2. European Union Press Release
  3. http://www.dasair.com/news/news-item.asp?id=7%5B%5D
  4. "DAS Air Cargo @ CH-Aviation"
  5. Tony Pither, The Boeing 707 720 and C-135, 1998, Air-Britain (Historian), England, ISBN 0-85130-236-X, Page 153 (Seven different examples leased or owned since 1986)
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