Avient to replace fleet with A330s

AFRICA specialist cargo airline Avient is, despite the global economic downturn, still planning on renewing its fleet.

CEO Andrew Smith told Air Cargo News that, starting next year, the company will definitely replace one of its DC10-30s, probably with an A330. It is also likely to replace the rest of the fleet by 2012. Andrew didn’t rule out the possibility of taking on one or more B777s instead of the A330.

Smith said: “It’s definitely the toughest year I’ve seen since entering the aviation sector 15 years ago, and 2009 is going to be a very hard year too.” However, he remained optimistic that demand would allow Aavient to survive through to an eventual economic recovery.

Avient operates scheduled freighter services from its European hub at Paris-Vatry airport to ten destinations in Africa, including Nigeria, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Libya.