unknown photographer

Withdrawn from use 2014.

Delivered to and operating for the Romanian Government as YR-IMZ from 1967 until 1999 this Il-18 eventualy was sold to the Sri Lankan company Expo Aviation as 4R-EXD. The name changed to ExpoAir in 2005 and FitsAir in 2013 before being sold to NPP Mir as 54006 in 2017. It was unfortunatly damaged in a landing accident at Narjan-Mar Russia 23 November 2018 and abandoned there.

This long aircraft saw first operations with Seaboard World Airlines in Aug'69. After a long career the DC-8-63CF flew its last passenger flight with Saudi Arabian Airlines in 1979. The aircraft was converted for cargo flights. As a cargo aircraft it was converted from 63CF to 63F in 1987. Since 2010, it is reported that this DC-8 is withdrawn from use and stored at Nairobi (Kenya). Here the aircraft can be seen operating by its Sri Lankan owner Expo Aviation during a cargo haul to Kandahar. It is reported that after its retirement, Sri Lankan FitsAir took over the aircraft but never flew it. It departed Malta and flew to Nairobi on the 28th September 2013 and has been stored there. Visible on the satellite image at 1.3156S 36.9268E.

Retaining the basic colours of its previous operator Oman Aviation, this Friendship was bought in 2.03 and was operating regular schedules to Jaffna in the then troubled north of Sri Lanka. Shown on board by the captain who was ex-Air Force and had been shot down by the rebels while flying one of the SLAF's Y-8s (Chinese-built An-12). Seen at Ratmalana stored in 2.17