Golden Wings Aviation

Golden Wings Aviation South Sudan (IATA: n/a, ICAO: n/a), is a privately owned airline based in Juba, South Sudan. The carrier operates as a regional affiliate of South African carrier, Golden Wings Aviation, under a South African Air Operator's Certificate.[1]

Golden Wings Aviation South Sudan
IATA ICAO Callsign
n/a n/a n/a
Founded2014
Operating basesJuba International Airport
Focus citiesJuba, Wau
Fleet size1 (see below)
Destinations2 (see below)
HeadquartersJuba International Airport
Jubek State, South Sudan
Key peopleObaj William Olau
Managing Director & CEO
WebsiteHomepage

History

Golden Wings Aviation was founded in 2014 by Obac William Olawo, a South Sudanese businessman from Upper Nile state as a South Sudanese start-up. The company successfully launched domestic flights between the South Sudanese capital of Juba and Wau, the capital of the Western Bahr el Ghazal state, using a Fokker 70 wet-leased from South Africa's SKA Aviation. Managing director, Obaj William Olau, said the route would operate four times weekly.[2]

At the time of opening, the new airline intended to establish additional domestic flights to Malakal, Yei, and Aweil with regional services to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, also planned in the future.[3] Due to the present turmoil in the country is seen as a bonus to local airlines as travelers opt for air transport over road transport to avoid ambushes, besides many of the key trunk roads across the South Sudan still being in poor state.

Company news
The Fokker F70 of Golden Wings Aviation in February 2016

On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Golden Wings would lease a Yak-42D Skyliner Aviation from Moldovan ACMI/charter specialist, MEGAviation, to expand service. At that time, the airline had expanded charter and scheduled services to Palouch, Malakal, Wau, Yaida, Aweil, Yambio, and Rumbek, all in South Sudan. Services to Khartoum in neighboring Sudan were also available.[4]

In July, Golden Wings also announced that it has been named as the official franchise holder for Million Air, an award-winning fixed base organisation in the United States. Talks are now underway that could see the firm utilize the Million Air name and brand for various projects at various airports in South Africa and across the continent as a whole.[5]

On February 15, 2016, it was announced Golden Wings was expanding their operations from originally focusing on South Sudan to exploring new opportunities in Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda amongst various other African countries. At this point, Golden Wings Aviation’s fleet has grown rapidly and now consisted of 12 aircraft.[5] The company possesses a Fokker F70, a 75-seater regional jet liner powered by two Rolls-Royce TAY 620-15 engines, two Beechcraft 1900Ds, regional turboprop airliners powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A67Ds and two de Havilland Dash 8 Q300s. A C-208 Caravan was later added to their fleet, and Golden Wings also manages a Boeing 727 Freighter for SKA International and was expected to add a 100-seater VVIP aircraft, as of February 2017.[5]

On May 25, 2016, the company announced it was closing down operations in Bor, Panyangor, Pibor, Yei and Yambio following the rising inflation rates. Other destinations which were discontinued included Asmara, Cairo and Nairobi.[6]

In July 2016, the airline began services to Etebbe International Airport in neighboring Uganda.[7]

Destinations

As of 9 October 2017, Golden Wings Aviation serves the following destinations:

Current destinations
HubHub
¤Focus Cities
[T]International destinations
Country City Airport Notes Refs
South Sudan Juba Juba International Airport *Main HUB
*Founding destination
South Sudan Wau Wau Airport *Focus City
*Founding destination
South Sudan Aweil Aweil Airport *Opened in 2015
South Sudan Malakal Malakal Airport *Opened in 2015
South Sudan Paloich Paloich Airport *Opened in 2015
South Sudan Rumbek Rumbek Airport *Opened in 2015
Sudan Khartoum Khartoum International Airport *Opened in 2015
Uganda Entebbe Entebbe International Airport *Opened in 2016

Future and discontinued destinations
^Future destinations
[T]Terminated destinations
Country City Airport Notes Refs
South Sudan Bor Bor Airport Closed operations in 2016
South Sudan Pibor Pibor Airport Closed operations in 2016
South Sudan Yambio Yambio Airport Closed operations in 2016
South Sudan Yei Yei Airport Closed operations in 2016
Egypt Cairo Cairo International Airport Closed operations in 2016
Eritrea Asmara Asmara International Airport Closed operations in 2016
Kenya Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Closed operations in 2016

Fleet

As of October 2017 the Golden Wings Aviation fleet consisted of the following aircraft:

Golden Wings Aviation fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
Fokker F701—75
Beechcraft 1900Ds2—
Havilland Dash 8 Q300s2—
C-208 Caravan1—
Yak-42D1—100-120Leased.
Boeing 7271—Freighter for SKA International
TOTAL8—0

The GWASS – Golden Wings Aviation South Sudan fleet previously included the following aircraft (as of 9 October 2017):

  • 1 Fokker 50 - 58 max cap. Leased from SKA South Africa.

References
  1. James Deng Dimo (4 August 2014). "Golden Wings Aviation Launches Wau-Juba Service". Juba: Gurtong.net. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  2. RTZ (5 August 2014). "South Sudan politicians support launch of new airline to Wau". Radio Tamazuj (RTZ). Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  3. CHAC (7 August 2014). "South Sudan's Golden Wings Aviation commences operations". Ch-Aviation.com (CHAC). Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  4. Ch-Aviation (16 July 2015). "South Sudan's Golden Wings Aviation to lease a Yak42". Apron News Quoting Ch-Aviation. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  5. Zain (15 February 2017). "Golden Wings Aviation – A flying start". Norwich, Norfolk, UK: Essential Business Magazine. Retrieved 10 October 2017./
  6. Jok, Jacob (25 May 2016). "Feeling the Pinch: Airline Shuts Operations across South Sudan". Toronto: Oyetimes.com.
  7. Kasozi, Ephraim (27 July 2016). "S. Sudan woos Ugandan traders back to Juba". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
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