Welcome Grey Bird!

We would like to welcome yet another carrier to the Aviationtag fleet: Welcome on board, fastjet!

Back in 2004, this A319-100 was manufactured by Airbus in Hamburg-Finkenwerder with the serial number (MSN) 2308. Its first flight took place on September 13 of that year, and the A319 was registered as D-AVYE in Germany for those flights. After receiving its new registration, ZS-SFF, the plane made its inaugural flight for South African Airways on October 8, 2004. South African Airways did not actually own the ZS-SFF; it was the lessee.

Ten years later, in June 2014, South African Airways withdrew the ZS-SFF from service and stored it in Johannesburg (JNB). Over the last decade, the A319 had visited many fascinating places in southern Africa, including Durban, East London, and Johannesburg, of course, but also Maputo in Mozambique, to name a few. The former ZS-SFF returned to SMBC Aviation Capital, received an Irish registration, and was stored at Tarmac's premises in southern France.

After half a year back in Europe, the airplane returned to Africa: fastjet leased the A319 from SMBC, and it received its final registration: 5H-FJF. At this point, fastjet was operating a total of six Airbus A319-100s. fastjet's international call sign is "Grey Bird," and you can tell why when you look at this wonderful livery design.

In September 2016, Africa’s fastest-growing low-cost carrier, fastjet, was phasing out its Airbus fleet in favor of Embraer. The airline returned all three of its leased Airbus A319s, subleased two, and sold the third to Allegiant in the US. Today, fastjet operates two Embraer 190s.

In September 2016, the 5H-FJF was flown to and stored in St. Athan / Wales, where it was also dismantled and scrapped just before Christmas that year.

Now the legacy of the Grey Bird 5H-FJF lives on as an Aviationtag. It ends where it all began as well - in Germany.

Don’t you feel inspired to get your own fastjet Airbus A319 Aviationtag now?