► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): EC Air Congo to start Douala, Cotonou, Ollombo following last week's Paris service launch.

As previously reported by The African Aviation Tribune, Congolese private carrier Equatorial Congo Airlines, better known as EC Air Congo (LC), last week Friday 24 August, inaugurated its first international route: a 3x weekly Brazzaville, Congo - Paris (Charles de Gaulle) service using a Boeing 757-200 leased from Switzerland's PrivatAir.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): Korongo to expand network to Mbuji-Mayi, Kolwezi, Goma, Kisangani with more regional routes to follow.

With a second Bae146-200 (aka AvroRJ 85) (MSN E2196 | OO-DJJ) having joined its fleet on Tuesday 28 August, George Forrest, the Belgian businessman and chairman of Korongo Airlines (ZC), the Lubumbashi based joint venture between Brussels Airlines (40.40%), Forrest Group (39.60%) and local DRC investors (20%), has announced that its next intended destinations within Congo are to be: Mbuji-Mayi (Eastern Kasai), Kolwezi (Katanga), followed by Goma (North Kivu) and Kisangani (Eastern Province).

►► EQUATORIAL GUINEA: CEIBA Intercontinental waves Adios to its 777.

The Boeing 777-200LR (3C-LLS) of Equatorial Guinean carrier CEIBA Intercontinental (C2) (with what had to be one of the coolest liveries ever on a Boeing 777) today left Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for Lisbon, Portugal to be re-registered under White Airways (WI), a Portuguese leisure and charter flight operator out of Lisbon, becoming CS-TQX on the Portuguese registry.

(ex) CEIBA Intercontinental Boeing 777-200LR (sabian404)

It is unclear, however, what purpose the 777 served whilst under the CEIBA name, as the Equato-guinean flag-carrier is on the European Union's Banned Operator's List. In all honesty, it wouldn't be a massive surprise if it turned out that the aircraft had originally been bought for exclusive Presidential/VIP usage given Equatorial-Guinean President Teodoro Obiang's family's penchant for the high life and luxury which of late, has come under increasing scrutiny from the international media.

With the departure of the 777, CEIBA is now left with a fleet of two ATR 72-500s, one ATR 42 - 500, one ATR 42-320 and three Boeing 737-800 on order whilst its network consists of Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Bata (Equatorial Guinea), Cotonou, Douala, Accra, Abidjan, Lomé, Libreville, Pointe Noire and Brazzaville.

[UPDATE]: SkyLinerAviation informs us that the 777 has now been re-registered as CS-TQX and is to be ferried back to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea as of 21 August 2012. Hopefully the plane will now return to operation for CEIBA and we'll see it in possible international service in the near future. Watch this space for further details!

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Check out Trans Air Congo's swanky new livery! (Pic)

Pointe Noire-based regional carrier Trans Air Congo (Q8) has applied a smart new livery to its Boeing 737-200 (TN-AHI). 

► NIGERIA: Turkish Airlines applies for Abuja & Kano; considers Enugu.

Turkish Airlines (TK) has reportedly applied for clearance to the Nigerian Government for permission to start flights between Istanbul and Abuja, Kano and possibly Enugu according to news reports out of Nigeria.

Should the routes be granted, they would be Turkish Airlines' second, third and fourth destinations in Nigeria after Lagos, which they have served since 2006.

Chief Executive Officer and President of Turkish Airlines, Dr. Temel Kotil had this to say:

“With its huge resources, Africa is the place to go. We want to expand our business in that continent.  With her huge population and resources, we want to increase our flights to Nigeria.  We want to fly into Abuja, Kano and Enugu.”

Read More Here [Vanguard Nigeria]

Turkish Airlines Africa Network

Turkish Airlines has seen its African Market share rise to 3% in the last 10 years with an aggressive push into various markets, the most adventurous of which has been its service to Mogadishu, Somalia which started this year.

Currently, it serves 21 destinations, the latest being Kinshasa whose service will begin in August. Rumours are afoot that  Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and  Douala (Cameroon) are also inline to be added, however, no official confirmation from Turkish Airlines could be obtained.

►► BELGIUM: Brussels Airlines announces Africa schedule changes from October onwards.

Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines (SN) has announced sweeping changes to its African network effective 1 October 2012.

Brussels Airlines' Africa Route Network.

● Brussels Airlines Africa Timetable ●

►Destination Summary: 

Airbus A330-200 replaces -300 on service to Abidjan (1 weekly only), Bamako, Lome, Ouagadougou from 1 October 2012.

• Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: Reduces from daily to 6x weekly with some operational routing change 
• Banjul, Gambia: Reduces from 4x to 3x weekly from 01 February 2013 
• Conakry, Guinea: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Cotonou, Benin: Service remains 2x weekly 
• Dakar, Senegal: Service remains 4x weekly 
• Douala, Cameroon: Service remains 5x weekly 
• Freetown, Sierra Leone: Reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from 01 February 2013 with A330-200 (A330-300 also operates from 01 October 2012 to 31 January 2013) 
• Kinshasa, DRC: Service reduces from daily to 5x weekly 
• Lome, Togo: Service operates via Ouagadougou in each direction, replacing BRU ABJ LFW BRU 
• Monrovia, Liberia: Service remains 3x weekly 
• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Service operates nonstop in each direction, extending to Lome. This replaces BRU-BKO-OUA-BRU.
• Yaounde, Cameroon: Service reduces from 5x to 4x weekly, via Douala.
• Bujumbura, Burundi: Service reduces from 3x to 2x weekly
• Entebbe, Uganda: Service reduces from 4x weekly in NS12 to 3x weekly in NW12
• Kigali, Rwanda: Service reduces from 5 weekly in NS12 to 3 weekly in NW12 (routing via Nairobi cancelled)
• Mombasa, Kenya: NEW 1x weekly service [CANCELLED]
• Nairobi, Kenya: Service reduces from 4x to 3x weekly; 1 weekly service operates via Mombasa, 2 via Bujumbura (Routing via Kigali is cancelled)

 

►Schedules of New Routing (effective 28 October 2012):

Brussels – Bamako – Abidjan

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 17 December 2012 to 03 January 2013

-Local Traffic rights currently available for Bamako – Abidjan sector

• SN281 BRU1125 – 1635BKO1725 – 1905ABJ 332 1
• SN282 ABJ2015 – 2155BKO2255 – 0540+1BRU 332 1

Brussels – Banjul – Conakry – Brussels

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 14 November 2012 to 30 January 2013

• SN215 BRU1325 – 1835BJL1950 – 2055CKY2215 – 0540+1BRU 332 3

Brussels – Ouagadougou – Lome

-A330-300 replaces -200 from 10 November 2012 to 02 February 2013

-No Local Traffic Rights on Ouagadougou – Lome sector

• SN261 BRU1200 – 1650OUA1740 – 1910LFW 330 26
• SN262 LFW2020 – 2150OUA2250 – 0530+1BRU 330 26

Brussels – Abidjan – Cotonou – Brussels

• SN229 BRU1405 – 1945ABJ2055 – 2315COO0025+1 – 0655+1BRU 333 2 

Brussels – Mombasa – Nairobi – Brussels [CANCELLED]
NEW 1x weekly service to Mombasa

• SN477 BRU1030 – 2110MBA2210 – 2310NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 5

Brussels – Bujumbura – Nairobi – Brussels
2x weekly service

• SN453 BRU1030 – 1955BJM2055 – 2325NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 37

Brussels – Kigali – Entebbe – Brussels
-3x weekly flights
-Service to Kigali reduces from 5x to 3x weekly, Entebbe from 4x to 3x weekly.

• SN465 BRU1030 – 1940KGL2055 – 2245EBB2350 – 0620+1BRU 332 246

 

►Operational routing summary:

• Brussels – Abidjan – Monrovia – Brussels SN247 1x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Conakry – Banjul – Brussels SN217 1x of 2x weekly service operates as SN215 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Cotonou – Abidjan – Brussels SN231 1 of 2 xweekly service operates as SN229 in opposite direction 
• Brussels – Freetown – Banjul – Brussels SN219 Service reduces from 2x to 1x weekly from  01 February 2013 
• Brussels – Monrovia – Abidjan – Brussels SN245 2x weekly service unchanged 
• Brussels – Douala – Kinshasa SN351/352 Day 5 southbound service, Day 6 northbound does not operate from 08 December 2012 to 10 January 2013 (However BRU-DLA sector will operate as SN371/372) 
• Brussels – Luanda – Kinshasa – Brussels SN359 on Day 7 operates with A330-200 instead of -300 from 16 December 2012 to 06 January 2013.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► CAMEROON: Camair-Co signs $115million deal for three MA-60s.

Cameroonian carrier Camair-Co (QC) on Wednesday 4 July signed a deal worth CFA61billion (USD$115million) for three Xian MA-60 turboprop aircraft with the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) that will see the first one delivered in September. In addition, AVIC will also provide spare parts and training.

What is noteworthy however, is that the Cameroonian Government will only pay for two whilst the third aircraft will come 'free' as part of a lulzy 'Buy 2 Get 1 Free' deal that seems to be popular in Africa at the moment. With this latest acquisition of the Chinese aircraft, Camair-Co will join Air Zimbabwe, Air Burundi, Air Congo International, Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (LAC) and a host of African air forces that use the type.

Camair-Co B767 in Douala, Cameroon. (Camair)

Despite a tough first year in the air, Camair-Co aims to become profitable by 2014, although it will require considerably greater size and scale before that target becomes tangible. Presently, Camair-Co's fleet consists of 3 aircraft: a Boeing 767-300 and two B737-700s (leased from the Aviation Capital Group) whilst its route network stretches from Cameroon to Chad, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Benin, Equatorial Guinea and France with flights to Nigeria and Congo (Kinshasa) to be added imminently.

► FRANCE: Air France announces various Africa changes for Winter 2012.

French carrier Air France (AF) has announced various operational equipment changes to its Africa network, effective 28 October 2012 (i.e Winter 2012).

Air France Equipment Changes (Effective 28 October 2012)

• Paris CDG – Bangui (Central African Republic)1 weekly service operates with A330-200, replaces A340-300
• Paris CDG – Niamey (Niger) – Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) 4 weekly service operates with A330-200, replaces mix of A330/340

Other Equipment changes announced previously: 

Air France 777 over the Sahara (Ken Iwelumo)

• Paris CDG – Antananarivo (Madagascar) 3-class Boeing 777-200ER operating, replaces A340-300 in W12.
• Paris CDG – Douala (Cameroon) – Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) Boeing 777-300ER replaces -200ER, daily operation
• Paris CDG – Mauritius 3-class “COI” Boeing 777-300ER operating, replaces 747-400 in NW11

In Northern Winter 2012/13 season, Air France’s Airbus A340-300 and Boeing 747-400 operational frequencies continue to be reduced on following routes:

Airbus A340-300

• Paris CDG – Bamako (Mali)1 Daily
• Paris CDG – Cotonou (Benin) 5 weekly
• Paris CDG – Lome (Togo) 4 weekly

Boeing 747-400

• Paris Orly – St. Denis de la Reunion 3 weekly

 Read More Here [Airline Route]