► CZECH REPUBLIC: Royal Air Maroc starts 3x weekly Prague flights from February 2014.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) will, from February 17, commence 3x weekly flights from Casablanca to Prague, Czech Republic on board its Embraer E190 jets on lease from Denim Air ACMI. The two cities last saw direct service over thirty years ago.

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc names Sukhoi, Bombardier and Embraer for possible 100-seater tender.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) says it will tender for between 12 and 15 new 100-seater aircraft should trials with two Embraer E190s, currently on lease from Holland's Denim Air ACMI, prove to be successful. Among the contenders mentioned are Bombardier's C-Series, Embraer E190 and surprisingly, Sukhoi's Super Jet 100.

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc outlines its planned E190 Summer routes.

Royal Air Maroc (AT) will this Summer lease two Embraer E190 aircraft from Holland's Denim Air ACMI (J7) for use on routes to Germany, Guinea Bissau, France, Denmark and the Canary Islands.

► SOUTH AFRICA: LAM Mozambique boosts Johannesburg - Maputo, Beira, Tete flights; launches Nampula direct.

Mozambique's flag carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), will from 28APR13 expand its Johannesburg operations through the addition of 16 weekly flights from Maputo, Beira, Tete and new route, Nampula.

► ANGOLA: LAM Mozambique boosts frequencies between Luanda and Maputo.

LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), Mozambique's national carrier has announced an increase in its frequencies to the Angolan capital Luanda, effective 31 March, with the addition of a third weekly flight on Wednesday.

► ZAMBIA: Ethiopian Airlines to start Ndola ops from March 2013 as Kenya Airways adds direct Saturday flight.

Zambia's third largest city, Ndola, is to see an increase in its regional connectivity with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) set to launch 3x weekly Boeing 737-700 flights to the Copperbelt from 31 March 2013, whilst competitor, Kenya Airways (KQ), is to introduce a once weekly Embrarer E190 Nairobi – Ndola terminator service, also effective 31 March 2013.

► CAMEROON: Camair-Co considering either Embraer EJets or Bombardier CSeries for mid range fleet; to add a possible third 787?

Alex Van Elk, the CEO of Cameroonian national carrier Camair-Co (QC), says the airline is considering either Embraer E-Jets or Bombardier's upcoming CSeries for its mid-range fleet, with an extra Boeing 787-8 to be added to its shopping list.

► MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambican airspace "supposedly" now open to all as LAM gets a B737-500, Embraer E190.

During a speech on Friday to welcome the national carrier Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique LAM's (TM) latest aircraft - a Boeing 737-500 leased from GECAS (MSN: 29074 | C9-BAP) and an Embraer E190 (MSN? | C9-EMC) - Mozambican Transport and Communications Minister Paulo Zucula stated that Mozambique’s air space has been liberalised, and invited everyone that was interested in the sector to “come and invest, come and fly.”

► SOUTH AFRICA: Kenya Airways increases Johannesburg flights from December.

With effect from 1 December 2012, Kenya Airways (KQ) will increase its flights to South Africa with the introduction of an additional four weekly flights between Nairobi and Johannesburg (ORTIA), South Africa, using its newly acquired Embraer E-190.

■ KENYA: Its Game On as Jambo Jet granted Air Service Licence; FastJet's A319s approved by KCAA.

The battle for the East African aviation market today heated up significantly when the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) dually announced the granting to Kenya Airways (KQ) of regulatory approval in the form of an Air Service License for the launch of its low-cost subsidiary, Jambo Jet, whilst at the same time, it granted FastJet certification for the use of its Airbus A319s in Kenya.

► TANZANIA: LAM Mozambique to increase Maputo - Dar Es Salaam flights from November.

Mozambican national carrier Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, better known as LAM Mozambique Airlines (TM), has, via the Agência de Informação de Moçambique (the official Mozambique News Agency), announced it is to increase the frequency of its Embraer 190 operated flights between Maputo, Mozambique and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 2x weekly, to 3x weekly.

At present the reservation system does not reflect the update, but when it does, we will update this post

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways puts faith in newer aircraft and staff cuts as global oil prices continue to hit hard.

Citing "a downturn in passenger volumes, declining revenues, unstable fuel prices and an increasingly competitive environment", Kenya Airways' CEO and Managing Director, Titus Naikuni, (KQ) on Friday announced plans to reduce the Kenyan national carrier's staff overhead in a bit to streamline the airline following a 57% drop in profit from KSh3.5billion last year, to KSh1.6billion in Q1 of this year.

Naikuni stated that Kenya Airways' wage bill had more than doubled from KSh6billion in 2007 to KSh13.4billion in 2012 following a rise in the workforce size from 3'729 to 4'170 over the same period, which, with some 664 foreigners included, brings the overall tally to 4'834 employees. It was this increase that had eaten away at the airlines profitability and thus necessitated the redundancy drive which would start primarily with junior and management staff.

“Despite various initiatives that we have put in place, our cost base continues to be extremely high. This coupled with other direct operating costs, have put pressure on our contribution margin reducing our overall ability to operate profitably,” he explained.

Source [Kenya Airways]

Brent Crude Prices 2007 - 2012

As part of the streamlining initiative, Kenya Airways will first offer a "Voluntary Early Retirement Package" (VERP) to staff willing to leave the organization before 31 August, after which, it will pursue a mandatory redundancy programme, should the VERP fail to attract satisfactory figures.

In recent weeks, Kenya Airways has moved to implement a number of measures designed to ensure the company's viability in both the short term, and long term - with particular reference to the airlines Project Mawingo which aims to transform the airline into a more globally competitive player by 2020. In late June, it signed a mandate with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to secure financing for Kenya Airways' fleet renewal initiative which will involve the purchase of nine (9) new Boeing 787-800s (Dreamliners) (B787s), one (1) Boeing 777-300ER (B777-300ER), and ten (10) Embraer EMB190 aircraft (E-190s). The new aircraft and their added efficiency will ensure Kenya Airways' fuel bill is kept as low as possible.

► KENYA: Kenya Airways adjusts Ndola & Lubumbashi flights from September.

With effect from 17 September 2012, Kenya Airways (KQ) will reduce its current daily Nairobi - Lubumbashi (Congo, DR) - Ndola (Zambia) - Nairobi service to 6x weekly. 

However, the Saturday service to either city will change to a direct Nairobi - Lubumbashi - Nairobi (served by a Boeing 737-800) and Nairobi - Ndola - Nairobi (served with an Embraer 190) routing respectively, using a Boeing 737-700.

Kenya Airways Boeing 737-700 (chr!s85)

Nairobi - Lubumbashi - Ndola - Nairobi

• KQ586 NBO0855 – 1025FBM1115 – 1200NLA1250 – 1620NBO 73W x6 

Nairobi - Ndola - Nairobi (Saturday flight from 17 September 2012)

• KQ786 NBO1035 – 1210NLA E90 6
• KQ787 NLA1300 – 1630NBO E90 6

Nairobi - Lubumbashi - Nairobi (Saturday flight from 17 September 2012)

• KQ580 NBO0850 – 1020FBM 738 6
• KQ581 FBM1110 – 1435NBO 738 6

Read More Here [Airline Route]