Scibe Airlift

Scibe Airlift
IATA
ZM
ICAO
SBZ
Callsign
SCIBE AIRLIFT
Founded 1976 (as SBZ Cargo)
Ceased operations 1998
Operating bases N'djili Airport
Fleet size max. 15 aircraft (in 1987)
Headquarters Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Key people Jeannot Bemba Saolona, President
Jose Numes, Chief Pilot[1][2]

Scibe Airlift was an airline from Zaire (today known as Democratic Republic of the Congo), with its base at N'Djili Airport, Kinshasa.[3]

History

The airline started activities in November 1976 as SBZ Cargo with a single Vickers Viscount. Due to problems concerning the national airline, Air Zaire, Scibe Airlift became the first passenger airline in the country. After covering the whole country, it bought a Boeing 707, which allowed for serving Europe. In the early 1990s Scibe Airlift was at its height, serving a multitude of destinations and leasing its aircraft out to European airlines. In 1992, it operated a DC-10-30 on its Kinshasa-Brussels route.

The political instability of the country and the poor financial management of the company brought it to an end. Scibe Airlift ceased its operations on 29 September 1998 when its last aircraft was stored at London Southend Airport.[4]

Accidents and incidents

Historical fleet

Further reading

References

  1. World Airline Directory Flight International 2329 March 1994, page 116
  2. 2.0 2.1 The logistics of sanctions busting: the airborne component, Johan Peleman, page 303
  3. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. pp. 58–59.
  4. Boeing 707-329C (20200/828)
  5. Flight International, 18–24 January 1994, page 38
  6. "Le Crash d’un Avian cargo sur un marche au Zaïre fait pres de 250 morts", Le Monde, 10 January 1996.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scibe Airlift of Zaïre.