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AFGHANISTAN

Balkh Airlines.

Mazar-i-Sharif

This operator obtained a Series 201AC in April 1996 for ad hoc charter work in Afghanistan and the Middle East though very little is known of its operations. It was leased to Rwanda Airlines from January to March 1998.

GEORGIA

Transavia Service, Ltd. - (FNV)

Kutaisi & Sharjah

This organization was due to take delivery of a Series 561RC in late 2009 but the deal fell through.

ISRAEL

Arkia - Israel Inland Airlines, Ltd. - (IZ/AIZ)

Tel Aviv

Arkia purchased two used Series 500s, firstly a Series 520FN with delivery in July 1977 and then a Series 523FJ with delivery in May 1978. After inaugurating service on 2nd August 1977, the aircraft were used on charter flights to many European destinations and also flew some of El Al’s schedules between Tel Aviv and Larnaca. Both aircraft were sold in September 1979.

KAZAKHSTAN

Astanair. - (A7/STR)

Almaty

Astanair leased two Series 528FLs from JARO International from November 1997. The aircraft were operated on the company’s behalf by Diamond Air of Switzerland. Apart from charter work, the aircraft were flown on schedules from Almaty to Astana and Kzyl-Orda. The type had been withdrawn by August 2000.

Names used on aircraft:-

YR-JBA - City of Astana

YR-JBB - City of Almaty

Berkut Air, LLC. - (BEK)

Almaty

Little is known of this operator apart from the fact that a Series 401AK was noted operating at Dubai in December 2001 with this company’s titles. The aircraft was retired to Bucharest-Otopeni by July 2005.

East Wing, JSC. - (EWZ)

Taraz (Kazakhstan) & Fujairah (UAE)

This operator was first noted flying its Series 401AK at Dubai on 10th January 2007. The company had previously been known as GST Aero Aircompany. The aircraft was noted still active at Gorky on 9th July 2007. It is was based and eventually stored at Almaty but has since been ferried to Chimkent. It's registration was changed sometime in 2009.

GST AERO Aircompany. - (BMK)

Taraz (Kazakhstan) & Fujairah (UAE)

This organisation rook delivery of a Series 401AK in late December 2005. The aircraft had previously undergone maintenance at Bucharest-Otopeni and was flown out on 29th December 2005. The aircraft was re-registered and was being operated by East Wing by January 2007. Nothing is known of the field of operations of this carrier other than the fact that it was still operational in November 2006.

Orient Eagle Aviation, A.V.V. - (4R)

Almaty

This company had obtained a Series 401AK in late December 1999. The aircraft was used on scheduled services between Almaty and Astana together with charter flights throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The aircraft had been disposed of by December 2001.

SCAT Air Company. - (DV/VSV)

Shymkent

Early in 2007 SCAT placed a Series 525FT and a Series 561RC in service on their scheduled network. Domestic points served were Aktau, Aktyubinsnk, Almaty, Atyrau, Kostonay and Taraz. Inter-nationally Moscow was served from Almaty and Taraz, St Petersburg from Astana, Baku ( Azerbaijan) from Atyrau and Dushanbe (Tajikstan) from Almaty. The aircraft were returned to Trast Aero during February 2008.

KUWAIT

Kuwait Airways Corporation. - (KU/KAC)

Kuwait

This company ordered three Series 205AGs with an option on a fourth on 9th August 1962. The order was later amended to Series 301AGs. The option was not taken up and the aircraft were never operated by Kuwait Airways. They were leased from new to British Eagle International Airways Ltd from June and July 1966 until the company ceased trading in November 1968 and the aircraft were subsequently sold.

KYRGYZSTAN

Trast-Aero Inc/Aquiline International Corp. - (TSJ)

Sharjah (UAE)

This company took delivery of a Series 525FT and a Series 561RC in April and September 2006 respectively.  In late November 2006 one of the aircraft was based in Bishkek carrying out charter flights in Eastern Europe and Asia while the other aircraft was based in Ras-Al-Khaimah performing charter flights to Gheshm Island in the Straits of Hormuz.  Early in 2007 both aircraft were leased to SCAT Air Company of Kazakhstan for use on their scheduled network.  They were returned in February 2008.  EX-086 was leased out to Djibouti Airlines in April 2008 for two months.  The company took delivery of a Series 510ED in March 2008 for spares use only.  During 2009 the aircraft were generally based at Ras Al Khaimah.  Both airframes were leased to Cosob (Osob) Airline Limited of Somalia during the year.  By mid 2009 the Series 525FT was placed in storage at Ras Al Khaimah but by May 2010 had been ferried to Riyadh for use as an instructional airframe.  The Series 561RC was noted with a Georgian registration 4L-BAS for sale to Transaviaservice in January 2010 but the deal fell through and by February 2010 the aircraft was being reduced to spares in an effort to make the Series 525FT serviceable again.

OMAN

Gulf Aviation Company, Ltd / Gulf Air Company, G.S.C. - (GF/GFA)

Bahrain

Gulf Aviation ordered one Series 432FD on 29th July 1969 with an option on a second.  This option was taken up and the aircraft were delivered in November 1969 and November 1971.  On 1st January 1974 Gulf Air was set up as the national carrier of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.  A used Series 409AY was later purchased with delivery in February 1974.  Two Series 416EKs were leased from Cambrian Airways/British Airways, one from October 1973 to the end of June 1974 and the other in November 1974.  A Series 408EF of Bavaria Fluggesellschaft was leased in full Gulf Air colours from November 1975 to May 1977.  The aircraft were operated throughout the Gulf area and to Egypt, India and Pakistan.  Points served from Bahrain included Abu Dhabi, Bandar Abbas, Bombay, Cairo, Dhahran, Doha, Dubai, Karachi, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Sharjah and Shiraz.  The type was finally disposed of in November 1977.

Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). -  (OU/MJN)

Muscat-Seeb

Originally known as the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force or the Air Force of the Sultanate of Oman, this organisation ordered three Series 485GDs with delivery in December 1974 and January and November 1975.  The last aircraft was fitted with a large main deck forward freight door and converted to a combi configuration before delivery and the other two were returned to Hurn for similar modifications later on.  The first aircraft later had long range fuel tanks installed in the rear of the forward hold in summer 1983, the work being undertaken by Dan-Air Engineering Ltd at Lasham in the UK, and was usually fitted with 59 passenger seats and a palette adjacent to the forward door for luggage while the other two usually operated in a 79 seat passenger configuration.  However, all three aircraft configurations were very flexible and could be used in the all freight rôle with a flat or roller floor, all passenger or combi rôle.  They were used regularly for freight and medical relief flights when stretchers were fitted in the cabin.  The aircraft were used throughout the Middle East, India and Pakistan as well as to Europe and were regular visitors to both Lasham and Hurn airports for maintenance.  A regular daily flight operated with the aircraft from Muscat-Seeb to Masirah, Salaleh, and Thumrait carrying army staff and their families.  Regular updates to the aircraft equipment were made including the installation of Reduced Vertical Separation System (RVSM) and Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) in later years.  It was eventually decided to replace the One-Elevens with Airbus A320-214 Prestige aircraft, although the new aircraft do not have the flexibility of the One-Elevens since they are not fitted with main deck freight doors.  Airbus Industries were looking at a programme to install these in the future.  The first One-Eleven to be withdrawn was 551 which operated its last flight from Hurn to Muscat via Bari on 30th August 2008 by which time it had flown 22,253 hours and carried out 18,529 landings.  The second aircraft to be withdrawn was 552 which was ferried to Masirah from Muscat-Seeb on 8th March 2009 by which time it had flown 29,571 hours with 24,543 landings.  Although the RAFO celebrated an official retirement ceremony for the One-Elevens on 7th June 2010 with a fly-past at Seeb with an F16 off each wing tip, 553 continued to soldier on with its flying duties until the 28th June 2010 when it carried out its last sortie from Masirah to Seeb.  It had flown 27,797 hours and carried out 23,230 landings.  The official retirement date of the RAFO 1-11 fleet was Wednesday 14th July 2010 which brought to a close one of the most interesting chapters in the BAC  1-11's long and illustrious history.  Together these three aircraft amassed 79,571 hours and 66,302 landings in thirty four years of service.

RAS Al KHAIMAH

Government of Ras Al Khaimah.

Ras Al Khaimah

This state operated a Series 422EQ from October 1984 to late June 1988 and a Series 211AH from August 1988 to late November 1990 both in the executive rôle.

SAUDI ARABIA

There were no airline operated aircraft based in Saudi Arabia. However, over the years there were many Saudi Arabian executive configured One-Elevens of which only one was a new aircraft (c/n 259). See the Corporate Operators list.

 Saudi Arabian Airlines. - (SV/SVA) 

Jeddah

Cyprus Airways Series 537GFs were employed on jointly promoted services twice weekly from both Jeddah and Riyadh to Larnaca with effect from October 1992 using SV/CY flight numbers. 

SHARJAH

Government of Sharjah.

Sharjah

The government of Sharjah obtained an executively configured Series 401AK in May 1984 which was operated until it was sold in December 1986.

Aerolion International.

Sharjah

This Sharjah based company bought a Series 561RC from TAROM in December 1997. It was initially advertised as available for charter work in a 12 first and 77 tourist class layout. The aircraft was operated on charter flights in the Middle East and Europe and also flew for some time on behalf of Lina Congo (Lignes Nationales Aériennes Congolaises) of Congo-Brazzaville under TAROM’s AOC.   It was also proposed to convert the aircraft into an executive configuration with extra fuel tankage.   Although approved, in a change of policy this did not happen and the aircraft was sold in March 1999.

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