Irish Aircraft lessor AerCap has signed lease agreements to deliver the first used Boeing 737-8 MAX to the country of Togo. The deal was made with ASKY, which is based in Lomé and operates flights around the continent.The new aircraft are previously owned models and will be delivered as early as next month, with the second model arriving by the end of August.

Where will they fly?

ASKY, which bills itself as "The Pan-African Airline," is headquartered at the capital's Lomé–Tokoin International Airport. Also known as Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport, the facility is named after the third President of Togo. The new aircraft will initially operate on the airline's regional network, which feeds into that of its strategic partner, Ethiopian Airlines.

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Several key guests were on hand to mark the occasion, including the chief executive officers of ASKY and AerCap, alongside Girma Wak, the Board Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines Group and Aviation Advisor to Togo. Esayas W. HAILU, the CEO of ASKY, remarked on how excited they were to welcome the aircraft to Togo and work with AerCap:

"I consider it an honor to introduce state-of-the-art B737-8 MAX aircraft into the ASKY fleet, which will support our wide regional network in our continuous endeavor to serve our esteemed customers.

"I am confident that the introduction of B737-8 MAX will further enhance ASKY's brand image before the eyes of the traveling public. It feels great to be the region's leading customer to AerCap, the world's largest owners of commercial aircraft."

ASKY is a privately owned airline created after the withdrawal of Air Afrique from the West African market. Regional banking institutions in Africa set up the airline in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, which remains a crucial partner. ASKY maintains its operation with a fleet of twelve aircraft. The two incoming narrowbodies will join the carrier's eight existing Boeing 737-800s, supplemented by four Boeing 737-700s.

The carrier utilizes its fleet to serve twenty-six African cities across twenty-four countries. ASKY's key focus is to develop a robust intra-Africa network that promotes regional development, tourism, economic growth, and regional integration. Aengus Kelly, the CEO of AerCap, expressed their excitement to be working with ASKY in bringing the aircraft to the country:

"We are delighted to welcome ASKY as a new customer to AerCap and particularly pleased to place the first MAX in Togo.

"AerCap is the largest lessor in Africa with 14 airline customers on the continent, and we are pleased to continue to support the growth and development of African aviation. We wish the ASKY team every success and look forward to working with them as these aircraft deliver."

ASKY in the sky
Photo: ASKY

According to the latest publicly available information, AerCap currently serves around 300 industry customers worldwide.