Kangala Air Shifts to Business Aviation Amid ATR72 Grounding
Kangala Air Express, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, has reportedly suspended its scheduled flight operations and is now shifting its focus to business aviation charters. According to NewsAero, both of the airline’s ATR72-500s are currently grounded due to operational challenges.
The ATR72-500 registered as XT-AMI (msn 722) was last tracked landing in Ouagadougou on March 13, 2024. The second aircraft, XT-FAT (msn 708), has not been tracked recently, and the airline’s online booking engine is currently inactive.
Kangala Air launched its scheduled domestic services in February 2024, operating three weekly flights between Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso using XT-AMI. The airline also operated ACMI flights for Air Burkina. In a bid to expand regionally, Kangala Air introduced international flights in collaboration with local travel agency Afrikayes. New routes included Bobo Dioulasso to Bamako, Bamako to Kayes, and a twice-weekly Bamako-Gao-Niamey service added in December 2024.
With scheduled operations halted, the airline is now pivoting to business aviation. Kangala Air recently expanded its charter fleet with the addition of a 30.8-year-old Gulfstream GIV-SP, registered XT-ABD (msn 1237), which was delivered on February 14, 2025, and last tracked in Jos, Nigeria, on March 11. The airline also operates another Gulfstream GIV, XT-KMA (msn 1021), to serve VIP charter demands across the region.
This strategic shift positions Kangala Air Express to focus on the growing demand for private aviation services in West Africa.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com