► DJIBOUTI: Turkish Airlines to serve Mogadishu via Djibouti from September.

It seems hardly a week goes by that Turkish carrier Turkish Airlines (TK) doesn't announce a new African destination. This time round, the new African route to be served will be Djibouti, with a tag on leg to Mogadishu, Somalia, which was previously serviced via Khartoum, Sudan. 

Turkish Airlines Africa Network

The 2x weekly flights are scheduled to begin 4 September 2012 with an Airbus A320 and, it should be noted, Turkish Airlines has also been given 5th Freedom rights to ferry passengers on the Djibouti - Somalia sector of the flight.

Turkish Airlines: Istanbul – Djibouti – Mogadishu, Somalia

- Effective 4 September 2012

• TK686 IST2325 – 0440+1JIB0530+1 – 0705+1MGQ 320 24
• TK687 MGQ0830 – 1005JIB1055 – 1600IST 320 35

Source [Airline Route]

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to get second A320?

Unconfirmed reports from Zimbabwe claim that troubled Zimbabwean flag carrier, Air Zimbabwe (UM), will "soon" lease a second Airbus A320 from China Sonangol International, in an attempt to revive the ailing airline's flagging fortunes. 

Air Zimbabwe received its first Airbus A320 (F-WTBL) on 16 January 2012, leased from SouthJet Two Limited, though it is uncertain as to what role the aircraft has actually played in servicing the airline's routes.

Airbus A320 "F-WTBL" in Harare.

"Radio VOP was briefed this week that some representatives of the airline from the quality assurance department and some engineers on Saturday flew to France to carry out an aircraft acceptance inspection and finalise the paperwork processes before the delivery of the aircraft expected before next Tuesday."

Read More Here [Radio VOP Zimbabwe]

Presently Air Zimbabwe is confined to flying domestic routes exclusively as the threat of repossession by unpaid creditors in the UK and South Africa is still very real. In April 2012, Robert Mugabe - the Zimbabwean President - was forced to return home from Malaysia aboard the leased Airbus, as opposed to Air Zimbabwe's Boeing 767s, as the latter was neither financially nor technically feasible.

It is therefore likely, that as part of its rejuvenation programme, Air Zimbabwe has chosen to use leased aircraft as opposed to buying them, as this theoretically will still allow Air Zimbabwe to operate foreign routes, albeit without the threat of repossession looming over their heads.

Airbus A320 "F-WTBL" in Harare.

It should be noted however, that in the past, Air Zimbabwe has laid some wild claims to aircraft acquisition, most notably:

• Air Zimbabwe to buy 3 x Ilyushin 96-300s (2008)
• Air Zimbabwe to buy 2 x A340-500

Both of which have turned out to be unfounded Big Talk.  

In a spin off effect, Zimbabwe's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAZ) has lamented the lost Passenger Tax revenues it has suffered as a consequence of Air Zimbabwe's demise.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Board Chairperson, Advocate Jacob Mudenda said although the exact figures on the actual amount lost have not been put together the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development is looking into the issue and restructured Air Zimbabwe in an effort to bring efficiency that would see in improvement in revenue inflows for organisations that have been affected.

Read More Here [ZBC News]

► MOROCCO: Lufthansa starts Berlin & Dusseldorf to Marrakech from November.

German carrier Lufthansa (LH) has announced Berlin Tegel to Marrakech, Morocco and Düsseldorf to Marrakech both of which will start from 3 November 2012.

The flights are both once weekly, and will be served with an Airbus A320.

A Lufthansa Airbus A320 (Lasse Fuss)

Dusseldorf – Marrakech effective 3 November 2012

• LH3476 DUS1105 – 1350RAK 320 6

• LH3477 RAK1450 – 1940DUS 320 6

Berlin Tegel – Marrakech effective 3 November 2012

• LH3478 TXL2105 – 0020+1RAK 320 6

• LH3479 RAK0205 – 0715TXL 320 6

Note that from 17 March 2013, Berlin Brandenburg Airport will come on line.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► KENYA: Egyptair A320 skids on landing at Nairobi; massive delays follow.

This morning, at 03.36am local time, an Egyptair Airbus A320-200 (SU-GBG), performing flight MS 849 from Cairo to Nairobi, skidded on touchdown at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, before eventually ending up in soft mud. There were 123 passengers on-board all of whom were able to safely disembark from the stranded aircraft.

Egyptair A320 SU-GBG in the mud at Nairobi. (Buggs79)

"All passengers and crew were safely evacuated to the terminal building even as  all emergencies operations at the Airport including fire and rescue were activated immediately."

Read More Here [Kenya Airports Authority]

The resulting closure of Nairobi's lone runway has caused numerous delays and diversions for various airlines, most notably Kenya Airways, who have had to delay many departures as well as divert many arriving aircraft to either Mombasa, Entebbe or Dar es Salaam

► LIBYA: Afriqiyah launches Amman flights; most 8U 771 families compensated.

Libyan airline, Afriqiyah (8U), has expanded its renewed network to now include flights between both Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya and Amman, Jordan using an Airbus A320.

► EGYPT: Saudia suffers 2 birdstrikes in 7 days at Cairo; new fad amongst birds?

It seems birds hanging around Cairo International Airport, Egypt have taken a strong liking to being mowed down by Saudi Arabian Airlines (SU) jets, as The Aviation Herald reports that within the space of a week, two Saudia aircraft have suffered bird strikes: one on landing, the other on take off.

► ETHIOPIA: Etihad to start Abu Dhabi - Addis Ababa from Nov 2012.

Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad Airways (EY) is to start a twice weekly service Abu Dhabi - Addis Ababa from 02 November 2012 using an Airbus 320.

Abu Dhabi – Addis Ababa

• EY681 AUH0945 – 1230ADD 320 x46
• EY682 ADD1455 – 1925AUH 320 x46

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles' crew complete Airbus A320/A330 training in Abu Dhabi.

In preparation for the introduction into service of the Airbus A330 and Airbus A320, Air Seychelles crew have recently completed their conversion courses for the types in Abu Dhabi, under the auspices of Etihad Airways.

► SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles boosts Mahe - Abu Dhabi service to 8x weekly; joins Etihad's FF program.

Seychellois national carrier, Air Seychelles (HM), has increased its frequencies between Mahe and Abu Dhabi to 8x weekly, using codeshared flights with partner airline Etihad. The flights will be operated by four times by an Etihad A320 and four times by an Air Seychelles A330-200 leased from Etihad.

► SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles - first A320/A330 flights in May.

Air Seychelles (HM) will operate its first flights using the A320 & A330 in May according to blog sources. This comes after Etihad acquired a 40% stake in the Indian Ocean Island airline back in February, whereby one of the key points laid out for immediate attention, was the issue of fleet renewal, and a return to profitability for the ailing airline.