Sierra National Airlines

Sierra National Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
LJ SLA SIERRA NATIONAL AIRLINES
Founded 1990
Ceased operations 2006
Hubs Freetown Lungi International Airport
Alliance Eagle Air
Fleet size 1
Destinations 5 (London, Banjul, Monrovia, Conakry and Amsterdam)
Headquarters Freetown, Sierra Leone
Website http://www.flysna.com/

Sierra National Airlines was[1] the national airline of Sierra Leone. It was based at the Lungi International Airport, in Lungi, Sierra Leone. It operated scheduled domestic, regional and international services.

History

Sierra Leone Airlines Boeing 707 at London Gatwick Airport (May 1983).

Sierra Leone Airways was founded as Sierra Leone's national carrier in 1958 when the government withdrew from the regional West African Airways Corporation partnership with Nigeria, Ghana, and the Gambia. In 1982, the Sierra Leone government entered into a partnership with Alia/Royal Jordanian Airlines, and relaunched Sierra Leone Airways as Sierra Leone Airlines.[2][3] Following the suspension of operations by Sierra Leone Airlines in 1987, services from Freetown were resumed on 1 May 1990 under the current airline name.[4]

In early 2004 the airline experienced some problems with its United Kingdom Sales and Reservations structures which were restructured. Scheduled flights between London Gatwick Airport and Lungi International Airport, Freetown, resumed on 30 November 2004.[5]

In October 2004 Gold Coast Aviation (PTY) Ltd., a South African-based aviation company, who have proposed to take over the operations of the Sierra National Airlines (SNA), have held discussions with President Kabbah about their intent to start operation of a new airline in partnership with SNA from 19 November 2004, subject to the approval of the National Commission for Privatisation. They intend to operate a Douglas DC-9 on Freetown - Liberia - Accra - Abidjan services, and a service between Freetown and Johannesburg. A Boeing 767 would be used on the Freetown-London service, with connections to other cities in Europe. They also intend later to commence flights to Dubai with connections through Banjul and Conakry [6]

In early 2005 the Sierra Leone Airports Authority claimed that SNA owed them US$800,000 in charges for landing fees, electricity, rent and ground handling services and complained that the refusal to pay the debts is affecting their operations. They won a court case against the airline but the government stopped the process [7]

International Scheduled Destinations

As of January 2005 Sierra National Airlines operated the following services:

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Nations Encyclopedia: Sierra Leone: Transportation 1 May 2008
  3. ↑ Aerobernie 1 May 2008
  4. ↑ Flight International 12–18 April 2005
  5. ↑ Sierra National Airlines website 12 November 2004
  6. ↑ State House Online 25 October 2004
  7. ↑ Visit Sierra Leone 10 January 2005
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