■ ANGOLA: TAAG's operating revenue up $120m in 2012 but lack of fiscal control remains a grave worry.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, registered a growth in passenger traffic of 11% for the year ending 2012, with 1.1million passengers flown, the airline said in a statement.  

■ UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Air Arabia posts huge $61.5million net profit for Q3 2012.

Air Arabia Group, the largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, today announced a net profit of USD61.5million (AED226 million) for its third quarter (Q3) of 2012, an increase of 126% as compared to USD27.2million (AED100 million) posted in the corresponding period for 2011. 

■ RÉUNION: Air Austral bounces back with a $7.35million profit for Q3.

In a dramatic change of its fortunes since posting a Q1 loss of EUR27million earlier in the year, Réunion-based French carrier Air Austral (UU) yesterday announced a profit of USD7.35million (EUR5.78million) for Q3 of its 2012 Financial Year, an improvement of USD9.89million (EUR7.78million) on its loss of USD2.54million (EUR2.0million) for the same period last year.

■ MAURITIUS: Situation improving at Air Mauritius despite Q2 $11million loss.

Mauritian carrier Air Mauritius (MK) has posted a pretax loss of USD11.4million (EUR8.9 million) for H1 (Q2) of its 2012/2013 Financial Year. 

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways issues profit warning after taking $55million hit.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has posted its unaudited, consolidated results for H1 (First Half) of its 2012/2013 Financial Year ending 30 September 2012 with a net loss of USD55.2million (KES4.788billion) being declared.

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways releases its Operations Report for Q2 2012 (July - September).

Kenya Airways (KQ) today released its Operations Report for the Second Quarter of 2012 ending 30 September 2012.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: No privatization for SAA despite a confirmed $150million loss: Gigaba.

Malusi Gigaba, the South African Minister of Public Enterprises, speaking on the occasion of South African Airways (SA) Post-AGM Briefing at Airways Park on Monday 15 October 2012, bemoaned SAA's below par performance during the 2011/2012 Financial Year, noting that whilst the global aviation industry, as a whole, has suffered in the current adverse global economic environment, SAA still fared poorer compared to its peers across the globe.

● IATA: Outlook improves slightly for African aviation, but government interference continues to stifle growth.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in a revision of its Global Aviation Outlook for 2012, has said that now it expects African airlines to break even in 2012, following on from a USD100million loss in 2011.

► MAURITIUS: Despite record passenger numbers, Air Mauritius still in the red for Q1 2012.

Despite having increased passenger numbers by 7.4 % on Q1 2011 to 292'449, persistently high global oil prices coupled with the Eurozone crisis have eaten away at Air Mauritius' (MK) profits for the first quarter of the 2012 Financial Year. Overall the company posted a net loss of €10.4million - a 12% improvement on the airlines' performance in 2011 - which it claims, would have been significantly less at just €2.4million had it not been for a weaker Euro/US Dollar exchange rate.

► SAUDI ARABIA: Saudia Cargo revenues up 25% from 2011 on the back of strong African market performance.

In spite of a very difficult global economy, Saudia Cargo (SV), the Cargo subsidiary of Saudi Arabian national carrier Saudia Airlines, has posted very strong numbers for the first half of 2012, with 251'500 tons of cargo being moved - a rise of 26% on this time last year of cargo - with revenues correspondingly rising by 25%. 

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways releases its Operations Report for Q1 FY2012.

Kenya Airways (KQ) today released its Operations Report for the First Quarter of its 2012 Financial Year. For the layman, it is essentially a run down of how many seats are being offered on a particular route i.e capacity, and how well their product (i.e seats) are selling.