Aero Dili was founded on 21 June 2018[1] by Lourenço de Oliveira, a native of Atauro.[5][6] De Oliveira has a background in maritime transport;[6][7] he has since been the owner of Dili's two casinos, and has made investments in other industries, including aquaculture and agriculture.[8][9]
Before deciding to invest in East Timor's aviation industry, an initiative he later described as "... a dream come true," the founder had also studied aviation processes in other countries for twenty years.[5]
The airline's first income-earning activity, under a memorandum of understanding with the government made in January 2018, was to acquire and make available to the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) a Cessna 172P aircraft, together with pilots to fly it. The aircraft arrived in East Timor in February 2018, and was put to work patrolling the Timor Sea.[10]
Later that year, Aero Dili was the first airline in East Timor to be granted an air operator's certificate (AOC) to conduct civil domestic services.[3] It commenced civil operations on 21 June 2018.[1]
Initially, the airline used a small fleet of Cessna light aircraft to operate its civil aviation services.[5]
On 11 August 2022, the airline successfully carried out an experimental international technical landing, using its Cessna 207 aircraft, at El Tari Airport in Kupang, Indonesia.[2][7] It was the first ever international flight by an East Timor registered aircraft.[7]
Aero Dili then announced, at a press conference held on 9 December 2022, that it intended to start international operations of its own in 2023, using an aircraft leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, with a second leased aircraft to join the fleet after six months, and a third one in two and a half years.[11] These plans represented an investment of US$20 million.[9]
The airline also procured the necessary certificate of registration (COR) and certificate of airworthiness (COA) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Timor-Leste (AACTL) in mid-March 2023.[7][12]
Aero Dili had previously negotiated with several leasing companies over the leasing of aircraft. The first two negotiations had not been able to go ahead, because the prospective lessors had been concerned about the weaknesses of East Timor's aviation system and its legislative framework.[8][9]
On 12 May 2023, the A320 operated Aero Dili's first scheduled international flights, between Dili and Denpasar/Bali, Indonesia,[citation needed] and in February 2024 it was used to inaugurate a scheduled service between Dili and Singapore.[14]
Corporate affairs
The airline is owned by Aero Dili Transport Services S.A.[1] Its Executive Director is Lourenço de Oliveira.[11]
On 20 February 2019, an Aero Dili Cessna 172 crashed at Pilila in Liquiçá Municipality while operating a domestic service. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but its occupants were not injured.[17][18]
The Timor Leste Defence Force is the military of East Timor. The F-FDTL was established in February 2001 and comprises two infantry battalions, small naval and air components and several supporting units.
East Timor is divided into 14 municipalities, which are former districts. One municipality is also a Special Administrative Region (SAR). The municipalities are divided into administrative posts, and further subdivided into sucos (villages). Atauro Island was initially a part of Dili Municipality, but became a separate municipality on 1 January 2022.
The National Stadium of East Timor, also known as the Municipal Stadium of Dili, is a multi-purpose stadium in Dili, East Timor.
Dili Municipality is one of the 14 municipalities, formerly districts, of Timor-Leste, and includes the national capital Dili. The municipality had a population of 277,279 as of 2015, most of whom live in the capital city.
Dili Airport, officially Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, and formerly Comoro Airport, is an international airport serving Dili, the capital city of East Timor. Since 2002, the airport has been named after Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (1946–1978), an East Timorese politician and national hero.
José Maria de Vasconcelos, popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak, is an East Timorese politician who served as 8th prime minister of East Timor from 2018 to 2023. He also served as 5th president of East Timor from 2012 to 2017.
Baucau Airport, formerly Cakung Airport, is an unattended and mostly unused airport near Baucau, East Timor. It is the largest airport in East Timor and has a much longer runway than Dili's Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, long enough to handle large commercial airliners.
Oecusse Airport, officially Oecusse Route of the Sandalwood International Airport, and formerly Palaban Airport, is an international airport serving Pante Macassar, the capital city of the Oecusse Special Administrative Region of East Timor.
Air Timor is a travel company based in Dili, East Timor (Timor-Leste). It operates as an airline, and as of October 2019 it provided services from Dili to Kupang under a charter arrangement with TransNusa, and to Singapore under a charter arrangement with Drukair. As of October 2019 it has no aircraft under its own registry. The airline has been said to have a defined strategy to become East Timor’s international and domestic airline.
The Order of Timor-Leste is the highest honour currently awarded by East Timor. Established in 2009, the order was created after the original honours granted by East Timor. It is of a more general and broader nature than the original orders related to East Timor's independence. The order recognises the contributions of East Timorese and foreign nationals who have made a significant contribution to East Timor, the Timorese or Mankind in general.
Suai Airport, officially Commander in Chief of FALINTIL, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, International Airport, and also known as Covalima Airport, is an airport serving Suai, in Cova Lima Municipality, East Timor.
Transportes Aéreos de Timor or TAT was an airline of the then colony of Portuguese Timor, headquartered in Dili. It operated between 1939 and 1975.
The VIII Constitutional Government was the eighth Constitutional Government under the Constitution of East Timor. Formed on 22 June 2018, and restructured in mid-2020, it was led by the country's seventh Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, and was replaced by the IX Constitutional Government on 1 July 2023.
Hermenegildo Augusto "Ágio" Cabral Pereira Alves is an East Timorese politician, and a member of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT).
Manuel Cárceres da Costa is an East Timorese politician and writer. Between June 2018 and March 2022, he was the Minister of Justice, serving in the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.
Dulce de Jesus Soares is an East Timorese politician, and a member of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT).
Longuinhos dos Santos is an East Timorese politician, and a member of the People's Liberation Party (PLP).
Armanda Berta dos Santos is an East Timorese politician, and the leader of the Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) political party.
José Agustinho da Silva is an East Timorese politician and a member of the Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) political party.
Brigadier General Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus is an East Timorese politician and former senior officer in the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL). From July 2018 to July 2023, he was Minister of Defense, serving in the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak. Between October 2011 and July 2018, he was the Deputy Chief of the F-FDTL.
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