MK Airlines Ltd. was a cargo airline from Ghana (registered in the United Kingdom from 2006 onwards, with its headquarters in Hartfield, East Sussex), which was operational between 1990 and 2010, concentrating on freight services to and from Africa. The airline routed most of its transported freight via its European bases at Gatwick Airport, Kent International Airport, Ostend–Bruges International Airport or Luxembourg-Findel International Airport. The African hub was located at OR Tambo International Airport, serving Johannesburg.
The airline was founded by Michael C. Kruger as MK Air Cargo d'Or in 1990 (MK stands for its founder's initials). Headquartered and registered in Ghana, a network of cargo flights with hubs at Kotoka International Airport and Gatwick Airport was set up, which was served with only one aircraft, a Douglas DC-8. In 1993, the MK Airlines branding was adopted.
Between 1995 and 1996, the headquarters of the airline were located in Nigeria. From 1999 onwards, MK Airlines expanded its fleet with cargo configured Boeing 747-200 airliners. The last of its DC-8s was put out of service in 2006.
In September 2006, MK Airlines was issued a new airline licence by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. In November 2007, plans for a rebranding of the airline as British Global were announced. The company had its airline code changed to BGB accordingly, but in March 2008, the rebranding was postponed indefinitely.
Due to financial problems, MK Airlines had to suspend all flight operations on 10 June 2008, and went into administration. After an investment had been received from Trans Atlantic Aviation, a subsidiary of the Belfairs Group, a limited extent of operations could resume on 20 June of that year. Following a reorganization of the airline's funding, bankruptcy administration could be left on 24 June 2009. Plans for an acquisition of more fuel-efficient aircraft of the Boeing 747-400 type could not be realized.
The financial burdens of the company could not be alleviated in the short term. On 9 April 2010, all operations ceased with surrender of the Air Operators Certificate to the UK CAA on the same day. An attempt was made to secure a company voluntary arrangement in order to be in a position to apply for a relaunch of operations. The CVA was successfully challenged by creditors as having been irregularly conducted and was rejected by the High Court of Justice on 5 October 2010.
Over the years of its existence, MK Airlines operated the following aircraft types:
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