Two Boeing aircraft leased by ASKY Airlines have been rendered temporarily out of service after sustaining damage in an attack on Niger’s Diori Hamani International Airport last week.
The Ethiopian Airlines Group, which controls a significant stake in ASKY, says the two Boeing 737 jets sustained minor damage during the attack, which saw four military personnel injured and a total of three aircraft hit by gunfire, according to Niger’s defense ministry.
The Islamic State group has since claimed responsibility for the attack, which reports say ended with the death of 20 of its fighters, including a French national.
A statement issued by the Ethiopian Airlines Group yesterday indicates a technical team was dispatched to Lomé, Togo, to assess the aircraft, and has since reported that the damage is minimal and the jets will be able to return to service following minor repair works.
ASKY, which operates in Central and West Africa from its base in Togo, is one of several African airlines in which Ethiopian owns a stake. Others include Malawi Airlines, Tchadia Airlines, and Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines (ZU).
