By BUSINESS DAILY

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Regional budget airline Jambojet has leased two new Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft from global aviation company Chorus Aviation Capital.

Chorus Aviation Capital will purchase the two aircraft directly from the manufacturer under a Skyline arrangement for onward lease.

They will be joining the Jambojet fleet which currently comprises five Bombardier Q-series leased by the carrier between May 2017 and May 2018.

Both aircraft are scheduled to be delivered and enter service in the second half of 2019.

“This agreement comes at a pivotal time in Jambojet’s journey as we expand our footprint into the East Africa region and increase our frequencies to meet the high demand of affordable and quality air travel. We are looking forward to forge a fortuitous relationship with Chorus Aviation for mutual growth,” said Jambojet CEO Willem Hondius in a statement.

The addition of the new aircraft come at a time when the airline is growing the number of its destinations in the region and the frequency of its flights.

Jambojet launched international flights this year, touching down at Uganda's Entebbe International Airport in February.

In August, the carrier increased its flight frequency on Nairobi-Kisumu route by four to 24 trips per week.

The budget airline in February announced plans to acquire four aircraft over 18 months to support its regional and local expansion. Kenya has applied for rights for the carrier to fly to Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Congo, Tanzania and Burundi.

Jambojet was in May 2016 granted regulatory approval to fly to 16 routes including Entebbe, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Kigali, Juba and Bujumbura.