► ZIMBABWE: Egyptair to resume Harare from June 2013.

Egyptair (MS) has joined the list of foreign carriers returning to the Zimbabwean capital with plans to tentatively start a 4x weekly Boeing 737-800 operated Harare via Dar Es Salaam service from 1 June 2013. The Egyptian national carrier last served Harare in 2003 as an intermediate stop between Cairo and Johannesburg using an Airbus A340-200.

► UNITED KINGDOM: Egyptair launches Manchester from June 2013.

EgyptAir (MS) will from 1 June 2013, launch a new service to the United Kingdom, with 5x weekly Cairo – Manchester flights on board Boeing 737-800 aircraft. 

► MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines to start Blantyre flights from March 2013.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) continues its push into southern Africa with the launch in Summer 2013 of a service to Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre. The new 3x weekly, Boeing 737-800 operated route, Addis Ababa - Lilongwe - Blantyre - Addis Ababa, begins 31 March 2013.

► ITALY: Egyptair increases Rome frequency from Spring 2013.

Egyptair (MS) will from 31 March 2013, increase frequencies on its Cairo – Rome Fiumicino route, with overall service to rise from 11x to 14x weekly. The service increase comes with the afternoon departure.

► SOUTH AFRICA: kulula to start Joburg - East London flights from 2013.

From 1 March 2013, South African LCC, kulula (MN), will launch flights between Johannesburg ORTIA and the coastal Eastern Cape city of East London. The airline says it will operate two return flights a day on the one-hour trip, using its new 189-seater Boeing 737-800. 

►► SOUTH AFRICA: Ethiopian delays B787 service to Johannesburg 'til December.

[UPDATED 8 NOVEMBER 2012] Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to further delay its planned deployment of the Boeing 787 on its daily Ababa – Johannesburg, South Africa route until 30 November 2012. The route will remain at a Boeing 737-800.

► EGYPT: Midwest set to start scheduled domestic flights in early 2013 with Libya, Saudi Arabia to follow.

Egyptian charter airline Midwest Airlines (MY) is to venture into the domestic Egyptian scheduled flight market with the launch of flights between Cairo and Alexandria effective early January 2013.

► ITALY: Algeria's Tassili Airlines launches Hassi Messaoud to Rome-Fiumicino service.

Algeria's Tassili Airlines (SF), last week, launched once weekly direct flights between Hassi Messaoud in south-east Algeria, and Rome Fiumicino, Italy using a Boeing 737-800. This new route marks Tassili's first foray into the regional market, having been an exclusively domestic Algerian charter operator until now.

► SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines boosts Djibouti and Mogadishu flights from 2013 on.

Turkish Airlines (TK) will, starting from 26 January 2013, increase its current 2x weekly Boeing 737-800 operated  Istanbul – Djibouti – Mogadishu (Somalia) service, to 3x weekly by adding a Saturday flight to the roster.

► ALGERIA: Air Algérie Boeing 737 lands short of runway at Algiers; no injuries.

An Air Algérie (AH) Boeing 737-800 (MCN: 34164 | 7T-VKA), operating domestic flight AH6231 from Tamanrasset, Algeria to Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport on 18 September 2012, at 03h25 local time, reportedly landed ahead of the runway threshold on the paved surface of the runway end safety area, to the right of the extended runway centreline, thereby taking out a number of runway end and edge lights during the subsequent roll out. 

► UNITED KINGDOM: Royal Air Maroc to resume London Gatwick flights from March 2013.

Moroccan national carrier RAM Royal Air Maroc (AT) will resume its discontinued Casablanca - London Gatwick service with a 3x weekly service from 27 March 2013. The Boeing 737-800 operated route will then increase to 10x weekly during Northern Summer 2013.

► GAMBIA: Corendon Airlines to offer Amsterdam - Banjul from October.

Antalya-based tour operator Corendon Airlines (XC), a joint Turkish and Dutch registered airline, today announced that effective 1 October the carrier would launch a weekly Amsterdam, Holland - Banjul, The Gambia service which would increase to a 3x weekly service from 1 November onwards.

► MADAGASCAR: Air Austral & Air Madagascar to codeshare from November.

In the first developments following the announcement last week of an "alliance" of sorts between Air Mauritius (MK), Air Madagascar (MD) and Réunion-based Air Austral (UU), Air Austral and Air Madagascar are to enter into a twice weekly codeshare service on the Saint Denis, Réunion - Antananarivo, Madagascar route.

► MAURITANIA: Turkish Airlines to launch Nouakchott via Dakar from mid September.

Turkish Airlines (TK) made another power move into the West African market by announcing a Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday weekly Istanbul – Nouakchott, Mauritania – Dakar, Senegal – Istanbul service using a Boeing 737-800 with effect from 16 September 2012. 

At present the Dakar sector is operated via Tunis, Tunisia, which will cease on the 16th.

► RWANDA: RwandAir rumoured to start Lusaka and Cape Town "in November".

According to fellow blogger RwandanFlyer, Rwandan national airline Rwandair (WB) is set to launch flights from its hub in Kigali, Rwanda to Lusaka, Zambia and Cape Town, South Africa "sometime in November of this year", though no official confirmation has been made available as yet.

A RwandAir Ad on Facebook.

It is said that the launch of the flights will coincide with "the arrival of RwandAir's two new Bombardier CRJ-900NGs in October, that will be used on other regional routes, thereby freeing up RwandAir's Boeing 737-800s for use to Lusaka and Cape Town."

RwandAir's Network

It is uncertain whether or not the carrier will be granted 5th Freedom rights to service the Lusaka - Cape Town sectors and vice-versa.

In October 2011, RwandAir signed an 'option deal' for two Boeing 787s for delivery in either 2015 or 2016. This should hopefully be the beginning of an audacious expansion plan that will see the airline going head to head with two major regional players: Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.

Stay tuned for further updates.

► TURKEY: Turkish Airlines announces changes to Africa Network for Winter 2012.

Turkish carrier Turkish Airlines (TK) has announced various changes to its African network effective Q4 of 2012.

Turkish Airlines Africa Network

Istanbul – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
-Effective 28 October 2012 service reduces from daily to 5x weekly using 737-900ER.

• TK603 IST1910 – 0335+1DAR 739 x13
• TK604 DAR0435 – 1050IST 739 x24

Istanbul – Nairobi, Kenya 

-Effective 28 October 2012 Boeing 737-800 replaces -900ER, daily service

• TK607 IST1950 – 0325+1NBO 73H 1234567
• TK608 NBO0445 – 1020IST 73H 1234567

Istanbul – Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
-Effective 9 October 2012 NEW 4x weekly service to its 3rd destination in Egypt. Schedule below effective 28 October 2012.

• TK700 IST0205 – 0440SSH 737 135
• TK701 SSH0640 – 0925IST 737 135

Istanbul – Kigali, Rwanda – Entebbe, Uganda - Istanbul
- Effective 28 October 2012 service increases from 4x to 5x weekly using a 737-900ER

• TK606 IST1840 – 0130+1KGL0225+1 – 0420+1EBB0520+1 – 1045+1IST 739 x27

Istanbul – Kinshasa, DRC
- Effective 27 September 2012 service increases from 4x to 5x weekly. Schedule below effective 28 October 2012.

• TK671 IST1445 – 2115FIH 739 26
• TK672 FIH2215 – 0630+1IST 739 26

Source [Airline Route]