Slovak Air Force is modernising its transport capacity
Late 2024 the Slovak Ministry of Defense proposed to enhance air transport capacity and fleet modernisation and bought two Global 5000s. In January 2025 a Letter of Intent was signed for the acquisition of three Embraer KC-390s. To help finance the new investments the government plans to sell five Let 410s and retain two of those turboprops.
On 17 February 2025 the first Global 5000 (C-FDIL, 9513) flew from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (Que) to Bratislava-M. R. Stefanik Airport. The second Global 5000 (9H-AVA, 9633) is at the Bombardier facility at Biggin Hill. When this aircraft will be delivered is unknown. Scramble suspects that the future registrations will be 9513 and 9633 due to their construction numbers.
Currently the Slovakian government flights are operated by the Government Flying Services which operates two Airbus A319s and one Fokker 100. The second Fokker 100 (OM-BYC, 11368) was withdrawn from use on 11 February 2025 after a farewell flight over the Slovakia. This Fokker will be stored at Bratislava and used for spare parts for the operational Fokker OM-BYB (11403), which will be withdrawn from use when both the Globals are operational, which is expected in the second half of 2025.
Next to the Airbus A319s and the Fokker 100 the Government Flying Services operates one Bell 429, one Mi-171 and one AW189. This AW189 (registration OM-BYW) was delivered to the Government Flying Services on 23 January 2025.
Deputy Prime minister and Minister of Defense Robert Kalinák said: “Due to extended groundings affecting the Alenia C-27J aircraft and the severe obsolescence of the Let 410 we were forced to act quickly after the Beirut experience, where three aircraft were used when only one should have been needed. This led to the development of a project based on the Ministry of Defenses transport aviation requirements”.
With the withdrawal of OM-BYC, this leaves only three Fokker 100s flying around in Europe. In December 2024 the last commercial Fokker 100 was retired by Carpatair, which leaves OM-BYB operational in semi-military service with the Slovak Government, plus Fokker 100s F-ZAFT/290 (11290) and F-ZASN/400 (11400) of the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace's Direction Générale de l'Armement - Essais en Vol (or, Defense Procurement Agency - Test Flight in English).
Credit photos: Raymond van Dijkhuizen (Scramble Archive) and Airliners.sk