Aero Dili Explained

Airline:Aero Dili
Iata:8G
Icao:DTL
Callsign:AERO DILI
Hubs:Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport
Fleet Size:1
Destinations:3
Traded As:Aero Dili Service Transport, Unipessoal, LDA
Headquarters:, CBD2, Dili,
Key People:Lourenço de Oliveira; Dexter Leopard; Hilman Zaidan
Num Employees:<100
Notes:[1] [2] [3] [4]

Aero Dili is an airline based in East Timor. It has its hub at the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, and uses a fleet of one aircraft to operate both domestic and international services.

History

Aero Dili was founded on 21 June 2018[1] by Lourenço de Oliveira, a native of Atauro.[5] [6] De Oliveira has a background in maritime transport;[6] [7] he has since been the owner of Dili's two casinos, and has made investments in other industries, including aquaculture and agriculture.[8] [9]

Before deciding to invest in East Timor's aviation industry, an initiative he later described as "... a dream come true," the founder had also studied aviation processes in other countries for twenty years.[5]

The airline's first income-earning activity, under a memorandum of understanding with the government made in January 2018, was to acquire and make available to the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) a Cessna 172P aircraft, together with pilots to fly it. The aircraft arrived in East Timor in February 2018, and was put to work patrolling the Timor Sea.[10]

Later that year, Aero Dili was the first airline in East Timor to be granted an air operator's certificate (AOC) to conduct civil domestic services.[11] It commenced civil operations on 21 June 2018.[1]

Initially, the airline used a small fleet of Cessna light aircraft to operate its civil aviation services.[5]

Subsequently, Aero Dili also provided air services as a virtual international carrier, by chartering aircraft wet leased from Indonesia AirAsia and Sriwijaya Air.[9]

On 11 August 2022, the airline successfully carried out an experimental international technical landing, using its Cessna 207 aircraft, at El Tari Airport in Kupang, Indonesia.[2] [7] It was the first ever international flight by an East Timor registered aircraft.[7]

Aero Dili then announced, at a press conference held on 9 December 2022, that it intended to start international operations of its own in 2023, using an aircraft leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, with a second leased aircraft to join the fleet after six months, and a third one in two and a half years.[12] These plans represented an investment of .[9]

The airline also procured the necessary certificate of registration (COR) and certificate of airworthiness (COA) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Timor-Leste (AACTL) in mid-March 2023.[7] [13]

Aero Dili had previously negotiated with several leasing companies over the leasing of aircraft. The first two negotiations had not been able to go ahead, because the prospective lessors had been concerned about the weaknesses of East Timor's aviation system and its legislative framework.[8] [9]

The first of Aero Dili's leased aircraft, an Airbus A320 previously operated by Bangkok Airways, and reconfigured to carry only 162 passengers, arrived in Dili on 20 March 2023.[7] [13] Upon arrival, it became the first commercial jet aircraft to be based in East Timor.[7] It was also the main attraction at an official launch of the airline's international services, featuring speeches by the President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, and the country's Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva, who had been one of the 17 passengers on board the flight.[5] [6] [7] [14]

On 12 May 2023, the A320 operated Aero Dili's first scheduled international flights, between Dili and Denpasar/Bali, Indonesia,[15] [16] and in February 2024 it was used to inaugurate a scheduled service between Dili and Singapore.[17]

Corporate affairs

The airline is owned by Aero Dili Transport Services S.A.[1] Its Executive Director is Lourenço de Oliveira.[12]

Destinations

CountryCityAirportNoteRef
AustraliaDarwinDarwin International Airport[18]
MelbourneMelbourne Airport[19]
IndonesiaDenpasarNgurah Rai International Airport
SingaporeSingaporeChangi Airport[20]
Timor LesteDiliPresidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport
SuaiSuai Airport
OecusseOecusse Airport

Fleet

, Aero Dili operates one Airbus A320-200, registration number 4W-AAL.[21]

Accidents and incidents

On 20 February 2019, an Aero Dili Cessna 172 crashed at Pilila in Liquiçá Municipality while operating a domestic service. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but its occupants were not injured.[22] [23]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aero Dili . www.avcodes.co.uk . 29 June 2022.
  2. News: Oki . Raimundos . Timor-Leste commercial aircraft Aero Dili successfully made its first international technical landing at El Tari Kupang . 7 January 2023 . The Oekusi Post . 12 August 2022 . en-gb.
  3. Web site: . Aero Dili Airline Profile . CAPA Centre for Aviation . 24 March 2023.
  4. Web site: Aero Dili . . 26 March 2023.
  5. News: Tatoli team . Companhia aérea timorense realiza primeiro voo internacional com aeronave própria . Timorese airline performs first international flight with its own aircraft . 25 March 2023 . . 20 March 2023 . pt.
  6. News: de Sá . José Belarmino . President Horta officially launch Timor-Leste's first airbus AERO DILI A- 320 . 25 March 2023 . Tatoli . 20 March 2023.
  7. Web site: . Timor-Leste's first registered jet ferried in for Aero Dili . ch-aviation . 2023-04-10 . en . 2023-03-21.
  8. News: . Primeiro avião 'timorense' começa a operar em 2023 em várias rotas -- empresário . First 'Timorese' plane starts operating in 2023 on several routes -- businessman . 25 March 2023 . SAPO24 . . 9 December 2022 . pt.
  9. News: . Aero Díli espera que voo inaugural do primeiro avião timorense ocorra em fevereiro . Aero Dili expects the maiden flight of the first Timorese plane to take place in February . 2023-04-21 . . Lusa . 2023-01-23 . pt.
  10. News: Soares . Celestina . Kompania Dili Aero Sosa Aviaun Ida Ba F-FDTL . Dili Aero Company purchases a F-FDTL aircraft . 25 March 2023 . The Dili Weekly . 22 January 2018 . tet.
  11. Web site: . Aero Dili Airline Profile . CAPA Centre for Aviation . 24 March 2023.
  12. News: Fatima . Cidalia . Aero Dili to begin its operation in January 2023 . 24 March 2023 . . 8 December 2022.
  13. Web site: . Timor-Leste's first registered jet ferried in for Aero Dili . Flyingphotos Magazine News . 25 March 2023 . pt-PT . 23 March 2023.
  14. Web site: . Timor-Leste celebrates the arrival of the first Timorese-flagged aircraft . Government of Timor-Leste . 25 March 2023 . en . 21 March 2023.
  15. News: . Bali Airport Introduces New International Flight To An Unlikely Destination . 30 July 2024 . The Bali Sun . 15 May 2023.
  16. Web site: Bali Update Editorial Team . You Can Now Dili Daily from Denpasar . Bali Discovery . 30 July 2024 . 19 May 2023.
  17. Web site: . Aero Dili launches flights to Singapore's Changi airport . Business Traveller . 7 March 2024 . 4 March 2024.
  18. Web site: AERO DILI TENTATIVELY PLANS DARWIN / MELBOURNE OCTOBER 2024 FLIGHTS. Aeroroutes. 23 July 2024.
  19. Web site: AERO DILI TENTATIVELY PLANS DARWIN / MELBOURNE OCTOBER 2024 FLIGHTS. Aeroroutes. 23 July 2024.
  20. Web site: Aero Dili launches flights to Singapore's Changi airport. Business Traveller. 4 March 2024. 6 May 2024.
  21. Web site: Airbus A320 - MSN 3672 4W-AAL . 20 August 2024 . airfleets.net.
  22. News: Freitas . Xisto . Pilotu: Aviaun Monu Tanba Vintuña Nakadoko Maka'as . Pilot: The plane crashed because of the Nakadoko Macauas wind . 25 March 2023 . Tatoli . 20 February 2019.
  23. News: Amado . Tome . Aviaun 'Monu' iha Likisa, Pilotu: "Problema iha Ventuña" . A plane crashed in Liquica, Pilot: "The problem was the wind" . 25 March 2023 . Jornal Independente, Timor-Leste . 22 February 2019 . tet.