Kenya’s Jambojet Looks To Lease Used Dash 8-400s

Kenya’s leading low-cost carrier Jambojet is set to receive two used regional aircraft to enhance its capacity while cutting down on expenses.

Like several airlines in the region, Jambojet faces extremely high operating costs due to the weakening of the Kenyan Shilling against the US Dollar. The aircraft will be delivered as part of the airline’s fleet development strategy, which commenced in 2018.

Acquiring used aircraft

The budget carrier will lease two de Havilland Canada DHC 8-400s. The first is expected to arrive this month, followed by the possible delivery of the second in the first quarter of 2024. Jambojet used to acquire new aircraft, but the carrier has turned to used jets due to the depreciating operating environment. Jambojet CEO Karanja Ndegwa said to Reuters,

Ndegwa added that the planes they will lease have been in service for at least two years and will come with shorter lease terms than the new ones. Jambojet currently has a fleet of seven Dash 8-400s leased from Falko, Montrose Global, and Nordic Aviation Capital.

Additionally, the East African market has fully recovered from the pandemic and is expected to reach about 110% of 2019 levels by the end of the year, offering airlines higher demand. The airline is also benefiting from the recovery of the tourism sector, seeing more leisure travelers and holidaymakers.

Photo: gg-foto / Shutterstock

In 2019, Jambojet carried about 719,000 passengers before operations were disrupted for the next two years, but it emerged from the pandemic stronger, transporting about 1 million passengers.

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In June 2023, the carrier operated 1,523 flights, offering 117,318 seats, a 22% increase compared to the same period last year. Jambojet expecs to transport about 1.2 million passengers by the end of the year.

Photo: Dave Subelak via Flickr

The fleet has an average age of five years, with all aircraft delivered less than a year after leaving the factory. Its seventh Dash 8-400 was delivered in November 2022, and it serves various domestic destinations from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO), including Malindi (MYD), Mombasa (MBA), and Ukunda (UKA).

Jambojet expects a significant increase in passenger demand throughout the year’s second half. It has projected the growth of passenger numbers by at least 20% due to the demand on local routes by business travelers.