David Eyre 
Photo © Peter Pšenica / Skyliner Aviation – used with permission
5 April 2013 © David Eyre
Skippers Aviation Fokker 100 VH-XKN (cn 11420, ex PH-LXG), one of three known to be going to the airline, has been painted in their colours at Bratislava, Slovakia.
It is reportedly to be first used by Fokker for testing of new flight guidance systems before being delivered.
Skippers Aviation is currently recruiting its Fokker 100 crews, and was rumoured to start operations from Perth in the second week of May 2013.
The second Fokker 100 is PH-KXR (cn 11410), but no details are available on their third Fokker 100.
History of VH-XKN:
- 13 Oct 1992: First flown as PH-LXG with Fokker.
- 31 Mar 1993: Delivered to Mexicana as XA-SHH, named “Axayacatl”.
- 22 Jun 1995: Re-registered as PH-LXG to Aircraft Financing and Trading (AFT), but continued to operate with on lease to Mexicana.
- 13 June 2003: Returned to AFT at Amsterdam.
- 2004: Lease to Mandarin Airlines (Taiwan) was not taken up
- 8 Jul 2004: Leased to Inter Airlines (Turkey) as TC-IED.
- 30 Oct 2004: Inter Airlines sub-leased the aircraft to Air Bagan (Myanmar)
- 2 Apr 2005: Returned to Inter Airlines, and repainted in their colours.
- 28 Mar 2006: Returned to AFT – flown from Antalya (Turkey) to Norwich, UK.
- 30 Mar 2006: Registered PH-LXG
- May 2006: Overhauled at Norwich.
- 1-8 Jun 2006: being repainted for lease to Air Niugini, but not taken up.
- 5 Oct 2006: Departed Norwich
- 10 Oct 2006: Registration PH-LXG cancelled. Registered XA-LXG same day, leased to Click Mexicana.
- 27 Nov 2008: Click Mexcana renamed MexicanaClick.
- 19-21 Oct 2009: Flown Mexico City – Chicago O’Hare – Goose Bay – Keflavik – Woensdrecht for return to AFT. Stored at Woensdrecht.
- 8 Dec 2009: Registered PH-LXG to AFT.
- Aug 2011: Being prepared for lease to IRS Airlines (Nigeria), but not taken up.
- 14 Jan 2013: Registered to Insight Aviation B.V.
- 15 Jan 2013: Ferried Maastricht/Aachen – Bratislava (using flight number SXI1304) for painting.
- 2 April 2013: Noted at Bratislava in Skippers Aviation colours.
(Additional info courtesy of Fokker News)
