Kenya Airways has acquired an ex-Emirates Airbus A310-300 aircraft from Airbus Asset Management on a 15-month lease.

The aircraft will effectively replace capacity lost in the January crash of the airline's A 310-300 aircraft off the coast of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The latest acquisition will return the national carrier's Airbus fleet to its mid-January strength of four aircraft.

The airline also operates a fleet of four Boeing 737-300 and two 737-200 medium range jets and plans to acquire four new 737-700 aircraft between next year and 2004.

The ex-Emirates A310 will be operated until June next year when Kenya Airways expects to have received three new Boeing 767-300ER aircraft from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (Gecas). The initial three 767s and a further three 767-400ERX, to be acquired in the first half of 2004, will completely replace the A310 fleet.

While preparing to finally phase out the Airbus fleet, Kenya Airways has, for the time being, remained faithful to the A310-300, which has been the carrier's workhorse on European and regional routes for the past 14 years. However, the size of the A310-300 can no longer cope with the airline's traffic growth, hence the need to acquire the higher-capacity Boeing 767s.

In the meantime, the transition to an all-767 long-range fleet has already begun, facilitated by the recent leasing of a KLM 767-300ER aircraft for operation on European routes.

Meanwhile, Kenya Airways is finalising plans to lease at least two Swedish-built Saab 340B turboprop aircraft from Saab Aircraft Leasing Corporation. The 35-seater Saab 340Bs will be operated by Kenya Airways' subsidiary, Kenya Flamingo Airways on scheduled services to Eldoret, Kisumu, Lamu and Malindi.

"We are looking at a no-frills operation with minimal catering and 20-minute turnarounds, more or less like Southwest Airlines in the US," Mr Steve Clarke, the airline's technical director said last week.