View source for Air Burundi

{{Short description|Airlines of Burundi}}
{{Infobox airline 
|airline= Air Burundi
|logo=Air Burundi logo.png
|logo_size=250
|IATA=8Y
|ICAO=PBU
|callsign=AIR-BURUNDI
|founded=1971 
|ceased=2009<ref>[https://airlinehistory.co.uk/airline/air-burundi/ Air Burundi] airlinehistory.co.uk, accessdate 21 September 2020</ref><ref>[https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/airlines/air-burundi-pbu Air Burundi] centreforaviation.com, accessdate 21 September 2020</ref>
|headquarters=[[Bujumbura]]
|key_people= Emmanuel Habimana<br/>[[Managing Director|Group Managing Director]]
|hubs=[[Bujumbura International Airport]]
|frequent_flyer=
|fleet_size= 1
|destinations= 3 (all suspended)
|website={{URL|https://www.burundiairlines.bi/}}
}}
[[File:Air Burundi Xian MA-60 at Kunming - Wujiaba.jpg|thumb|Air Burundi [[Xian MA-60]]]]
'''Air Burundi''' was the state-owned national [[airline]] of [[Burundi]], although in practice it has not been operational since 2009.

At its peak, the airline operated scheduled regional passenger services to [[Rwanda]], [[Tanzania]], and [[Uganda]] with its main base at [[Bujumbura International Airport]],<ref name="FI">{{cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= [[Flight International]] | page= 53 | date= 2007-04-03}}</ref> and headquarters  in [[Bujumbura]].<ref name="flightglobal.com">''World Airline Directory''. Flight International. 31 March – 6 April 1999. "[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1999/1999%20-%200771.html?search=%22Air%20Burundi%22 51].</ref><ref>''World Airline Directory''. Flight International. 16–22 March 2004. "[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09 - 0060.html 58]."</ref>

After many years of inactivity, the government started the process of reviving it. Its successor, [[Burundi Airlines]], was formally established on 4 February 2021.

==History==
=== Early history ===
The airline was established in April 1971, and started operations in 1975. It was formed as ''Société de Transports Aériens du Burundi'', and adopted the present name in June 1975. The airline began operations a fleet of two [[Douglas DC-3]]s followed by two [[De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter]] and a [[Sud Caravelle|Sud Caravelle III]] in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/skyways/air_burundi.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710132523/http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/skyways/air_burundi.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2017|title=Air Burundi|website=[[Angelfire]]|access-date=2016-09-12}}</ref> The 1996 [[Burundian Civil War]] put a lot of pressure on the airline, and transportation of all forms in the country was paralyzed. In 1999 the [[East African Community]] lifted sanctions on [[Burundi]] and the airline resumed operations from February 1, 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/183814/wp255_grauvogel_0.pdf|title=Regional Sanctions against Burundi: A Powerful Campaign and its Unintended Consequences|last=Grauvogel|first=Julia|date=September 2014|website=|access-date=}}</ref>

=== Troubled operations ===
[[File:Bujumbura airport - Flickr - Dave Proffer (1).jpg|Air Burundi Sud SE-210 Caravelle III aircraft at [[Bujumbura International Airport]] in 2007|thumb]]
The airline continued to provide scheduled flights to nearby regional cities, however in spring of 2007, due to technical issues it temporarily suspended operations. In 2008, the airline was relaunched with a much smaller network, providing daily flights to [[Kigali]] and [[Entebbe]].

In September 2009, an inability to secure adequate funding to overhaul its aircraft led to the airline's suspension of operations; the single aircraft in operation, a [[Beechcraft 1900]], had reached the maximum flight hours before a major service was mandated. The aircraft was flown to [[South Africa]] to undergo regular maintenance operations, to cost at least $1m.

Press reports in September 2013 indicated that the airline will require $1.3 million to overhaul and return its Beechcraft 1900C into active service in support of the airline's sole functioning aircraft, an [[MA60]].<ref name="ch">{{cite news | title= Air Burundi to need $4mln to resume services| work=ch-aviation.ch | date= 2013-09-24}}</ref> Despite the arrival of the MA60, operations have not resumed. For a second MA60, due as part of a "[[Buy one, get one free]]" deal with [[China]], the contract regarding the purchase of the aircraft (recorded as having been a "donation" from China to Burundi) had yet to be finalised, with no delivery date agreed to date.<ref name="ch"/>

=== Revival ===
In August 2011, [[East Africa]]n media reported that Air Burundi had started a process of restructuring. Six international companies had already been pre-selected, through competitive bidding, to propose a restructuring process. Plans were apparently under way to either lease or acquire new aircraft to facilitate the resumption of flight operations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201108291772.html|title=Burundi: Air Burundi to Restructure|date=2011-08-29|work=East African Business Week (Kampala)|access-date=2017-09-16}}</ref>

In January 2013 it was reported that the privatisation of Air Burundi had in part been delayed by the carrier's 90% shareholding in SOBUGEA (''Société Burundaise de Gestion Aéroportuaire''), the country's airport management company. Staff there argued that the Privatisation bill introduced by the government contained many irregularities, including reference to  "Air-Burundi/Sobugea", a company that does not exist: "The first is a public company created in 1975, governed by Decree No. 100/160 of September 5, 1997, while the second was born in 1981 and governed by the laws of 12 March 2008."<ref name="African">{{cite news|title=BURUNDI: Lack of political, legal will sabotaging the privatization of Air Burundi, Civil aviation authority.|date=2013-01-12|work=The African Aviation Tribune website}}</ref> Although privatisation had been discussed a while ago, it was argued that the two companies should be taken separately: "Each has its heritage and its status. Contrary to what is stated in the explanatory memorandum, any reform concerning Air Burundi does not include SOBUGEA."<ref name="African" />

After years of discussion, [[Burundi Airlines]] was formally established on 4 February 2021 as the new flag carrier to replace Air Burundi.

==Corporate affairs==

===Ownership===
Air Burundi, which had its head office in Bujumbura,<ref name="flightglobal.com"/><ref>''World Airline Directory''. Flight International. 16–22 March 2004. "[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200060.html 58]."</ref> was wholly owned by the [[government of Burundi]].<ref name="FI"/>

Past suitors for Air Burundi were reported to have included the [[Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development]] (AKFED) (who in turn own the [[Celestair|Celestair Group]] that includes Air Uganda, Air Mali and Air Burkina Faso) and various Chinese investors; no proposal bore fruit however, and the view was that any potential investors in a privatised Air Burundi would be "wary of the lack of a robust, clear legal framework that specifically defines the company's activities and roles."<ref name="African"/>

===Business trends===
Financial and other business figures for Air Burundi were rarely published, even before operations were suspended; net profit figures have been reported as below: 
{| class="wikitable"  style="margin:1em auto;"
|-
! 
! 2006
! 2007
! 2008
! 2009
! 2010
! 2011
! 2012
! 2013
! 2014
! 2015
|-
| Net profit  ([[Burundian franc|FBu]] m)
| align=center| 291.1
| align=center| {{color|red|−11.7}}
| align=center| {{color|red|−346.5}}
| align=center| {{color|red|−253.2}}
| align=center| 71.9
| align=center| 318.4
| align=center| 164.5
| align=center| 465.1
| align=center| {{color|red|−162.7}}
! align=center| {{color|red|−83.9}}
|- 
| <small>''Notes/sources''</small>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu"/>
| align=center|<ref name="Iwacu">{{cite news|title= Evolution des Resultats net de la Sobugea et l'Air Burundi (2006-2015)|website= iwacu-burundi.org/|url= https://www.iwacu-burundi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Sobugea-Air-Bdi.png }}</ref>
|}

==Destinations==
Until operations were suspended, Air Burundi operated scheduled international services to the following destinations:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|style="background-color: #FFE6BD"|
|Hub
|-
|style="background-color:#FFFF80"|
|Future
|-
|style="background-color:#DDDDDD"|
|Terminated/suspended
|}
{|class="sortable wikitable" 
|-
!City
!Country
!style="width:50px;"|IATA
!style="width:50px;"|ICAO
!Airport
! class="unsortable"|Refs
|-
|style="background-color:#DDDDDD" | [[Bujumbura]] || {{BDI}} || align=center | BJM || align=center | HBBA ||style="background-color: #FFE6BD" | [[Bujumbura International Airport]] || align=center |<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120224222348/http://www.busiweek.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2215&Itemid=1 Destinations of Air Burundi]}}</ref>
|-
| style="background-color:#DDDDDD"| [[Entebbe]] || {{flag|Uganda}} || align=center|EBB || align=center | HUEN || [[Entebbe International Airport]] || align=center |
|-
| style="background-color:#DDDDDD"| [[Kigali]] || {{flag|Rwanda}} || align=center | KGL || align=center | HRYR || [[Kigali International Airport]] || align=center |
|-
|}

==Fleet==
===Fleet at closure===
The Air Burundi fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of August 2019):<ref>{{cite journal|title=Global Aircraft Guide 2019 (Part One)|journal=Airliner World|issue=October 2019|page=7}}</ref>
[[File:Air Burundi Caravelle Fitzgerald.jpg|thumb|The Air Burundi Caravelle, pictured in 1976]]
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Air Burundi fleet
|- 
!rowspan="1" | Aircraft
!rowspan="1" style="width:50px;"| In service
!rowspan="1" style="width:50px;"| Orders
!colspan="1"| Passengers
!rowspan="1"| Notes
|-
|[[Xian MA60]]
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|52
|
|-

!Total 
!1
!1
!colspan="3"|
|}

===Historical fleet===
At August 2006, the airline also operated:<ref>[[Flight International]], 3–9 October 2006</ref>
* 1 [[De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300]]
* 1 [[Sud Aviation Caravelle]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
*[[Transport in Burundi]]
*[[List of companies of Burundi]]
*[[Economy of Burundi]]
{{clear right}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131021081431/http://www.flyairburundi.com/ Official website]

{{African Airlines Association}}
{{Airlines of Burundi}}

[[Category:Airlines established in 1971]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:History of Bujumbura]]
[[Category:Government-owned airlines]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of Burundi]]
[[Category:Burundian companies established in 1971]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in Africa]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in Burundi]]