► MADAGASCAR: Air Madagascar reduces Paris flights from October.

With effect from Winter 2012 (i.e 28 October 2012), Air Madagascar is to reduce its current Airbus A340 operated 4x weekly flights from Antananarivo, Madagascar to Paris CDG, France to 3x weekly. Its other French route, Antananarivo, Madagascar to Marseille, France, is to remain a once (1x) weekly service.

Air Madagascar A340 in Paris (Didairbus)

Air Madagascar: Antananarivo, Madagascar – Paris CDG, France

-Effective 28 October 2012

• MD050 TNR2050 – 0620+1CDG 343 1
• MD050 TNR2350 – 0920+1CDG 343 46
• MD051 CDG1620 – 0520+1TNR 343 257

 Source [Airline Route]

► MALI: Air France announces changes to Bamako service.

Air France has announced changes to its daily Paris - Bamako, Mali service effective from 1 August 2012 until 27 October 2012 as the Malian capital Bamako prepares to open its newly refurbished Sénou International Airport.

During this time, the route Bamako - Paris CDG outbound leg will operate with a technical stop in Casablanca, Morocco.

Bamako Senou International Airport, Mali

Air France: Paris CDG, France - Bamako, Mali

-Effective between 1 August 2012 until 27 October 2012

• AF3096 CDG1410 – 1750BKO A332 1234567
• AF3093 BKO2020 – 0035+1CMN0135+1 – 0530+1CDG A332 1234567

Read More Here [Airline Route]

Sénou International Airport has been undergoing various improvements and renovations over the last few years, with the present set of upgrades costing USD$190million and financed by the US government, the World Bank and other donors, expected to be ready for use by late September.

► TUNISIA: Syphax Airlines announces Summer schedule changes; outlines new routes.

Newly founded Tunisian carrier Syphax Airlines (FS) has announced changes to its Summer timetable effective 5 July 2012.

Founded in 2011 and based in the coastal city of Sfax by businessman Mohamed Frikha, Syphax Airlines is a scheduled airline serving destinations in the Mediterranean with plans to increase its presence in both the Magreb region of Africa and Europe in the near future, amongst which will see Nice and Lyon in France being connected with Sfax, Tunisia a whilst Casablanca - Tunisia service is also in the pipeline.

Syphax Airlines Route Map

● Syphax Airlines Summer 2012 Timetable ●

Djerba, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France 
2x weekly service operating since 18JUN12

• FS110 DJE1510 – 1900CDG 319 14
• FS111 CDG1225 – 1410DJE 319 14

Sfax, Tunisia – Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, Turkey
Operational days moving from Day 47 to Day 26 (SFA departure)

• FS212 SFA1635 – 2055SAW 319 26
• FS213 SAW2155 – 2220SFA 319 26

Sfax, Tunisia – Marseille, France
Service operates twice weekly instead of planned 3x weekly

• FS210 SFA0715 – 1000MRS 319 25
• FS211 MRS1045 – 1125SFA 319 25

Sfax, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France
Service operates 5x weekly instead of planned daily

• FS100 SFA0745 – 1125CDG 319 x267
• FS100 SFA1030 – 1410CDG 319 7
• FS101 CDG2000 – 2135SFA 319 14
• FS101 CDG2030 – 2205SFA 319 35
• FS101 CDG2215 – 2350SFA 319 7

Sfax, Tunisia – Tripoli, Libya
3x weekly service entered operation since early-June 2012

• FS250 SFA2250 – 0025+1TIP 319 135
• FS251 TIP0110 – 0050SFA 319 246

Tunis, Tunisia – Paris CDG, France
Service operates 3x weekly instead of planned daily

• FS104 TUN1555 – 1930CDG 319 35
• FS104 TUN1740 – 2115CDG 319 7
• FS105 CDG1225 – 1355TUN 319 35
• FS105 CDG1510 – 1640TUN 319 7

Routes to be launched in the near future:

• Sfax, Tunisia – Lyon, France: 3x weekly (previously due to start from 7 May 2012)
• Sfax, Tunisia – Nice, France: 2x weekly (previously due to start from 10 May 2012)
• Sfax – Tunis – Casablanca, Morocco: 2x weekly (previously due to start from 22 May 2012)
• Tunis – Lyon 3x weekly (previously due to start 7 May 2012)

Read More Here [Airline Route]

Presently, Syphax Airlines' fleet consists of two Airbus A319s.

► ANGOLA: TAAG boosts Dubai; looks to expand greatly in coming years.

Angola's flag carrier TAAG Angolan Airlines (DT) has announced, that effective 10 September 2012, it will add a third weekly Wednesday frequency to Dubai from Luanda and it is also looking to further increase its international presence by opening new international routes to Frankfurt, Germany, Paris, France and an as yet undisclosed destinations in the US.

With Angola's growing regional importance, both as a trade route and as an economic hub - with its vast oil wealth to boot - so the need to establish a direct air link between the US and Angola has grown ever more crucial. At this time, the only airlink between the two countries is that of SonAir Angola operates the 3x weekly "Houston Express" from Luanda to Houston, USA using a leased Atlas Air Boeing 747-400  which caters more for the oil industry's needs than anything.

Recently, Angola signed bilateral agreements with Argentina amongst which saw the Angolan airline opening a ticket office in Buenos Aires, that some see as being the first step in the opening of a future Luanda - Buenos Aires route.

TAAG Angolan Airlines: Luanda - Dubai
-Effective 10 September 2012

• DT550 LAD2100 – 0800+1DXB 772 135
• DT551 DXB1020 – 1520LAD 772 246

From 28 October 2012, Day 1/2 service operates with Boeing 777-300ER instead of -200ER.

Read More Here [Airline Route]

TAAG Angolan Airlines Africa Network

Meanwhile, ATWOnline reports that chairman and CEO of TAAG, Pimentel Araujo, disclosed that it plans to phase out its last three 737-200s and is considering acquiring either additional 737-700s, of which five are already in service, “or a lighter aircraft for some domestic routes,” he said. In January 2011, the airline retired its fleet of Boeing 747-300s to make way for the first of their Boeing 777-300ERs, of which another three are due for delivery in 2016.

TAAG, in keeping up with international trends, also launched its own Frequent Flyer Programme called the "Umbi Umbi Club" which it will use to build a customer loyalty base.

► RÉUNION: Air Austral restructures Africa routes.

Troubled French carrier, Air Austral (UU), who last month announced the cancellation of several of its Provence France destinations as well as its Australia and New Caledonia routes, is to reorganize several of its African destinations, as it fights back from a miserable 2011 Financial Year, which saw it cancelling its order for two Airbus A380s.

A rendering of Air Austral's A380 (flightglobal)

The announced changes:

Air Austral

St. Denis de la Reunion – Dzaoudzi (Mayotte FOT) – Moroni (Comoros):

Twice weekly service moves from Tuesday & Sunday to Monday & Thursday.

• UU255 RUN1100 – 1210DZA1310 – 1350HAH 738 14
• UU256 HAH1450 – 1530DZA1650 – 1950RUN 738 14

St. Denis de la Reunion – Johannesburg (South Africa):

Operational schedule changes for the two weekly flights, moving from night-time to afternoon/evening hours, as well as moving from Thursday & Sunday to Monday & Thursday.

• UU341 RUN1515 – 1725JNB 738 4
• UU311 RUN1515 – 1725JNB 738 1
• UU342 JNB1825 – 0015+1RUN 738 4
• UU312 JNB1825 – 0015+1RUN 738 1

St. Denis de la Reunion – Nossi-Be (Madagascar) – Dzaoudzi (Mayotte FOT/Comoros)

Service increases from 2x to 3x weekly

• UU203 RUN1100 – 1150NOS1235 – 1320DZA 738 257
• UU204 DZA1520 – 1605NOS1650 – 1930RUN 738 257

St. Denis de la Reunion – Seychelles

Twice weekly service moving from Thursday & Saturday to Wednesday & Friday.

• UU431 RUN0900 – 1140SEZ 738 3
• UU451 RUN0900 – 1140SEZ 738 5
• UU432 SEZ1230 – 1505RUN 738 3
• UU452 SEZ1230 – 1505RUN 738 5

St. Denis de la Reunion – Toamasina (Madagascar)

Service reduces from 3x to 2x weekly.

• UU555 RUN1530 – 1620TMM AT7 5
• UU515 RUN1530 – 1620TMM AT7 1
• UU556 TMM1705 – 1950RUN AT7 5
• UU516 TMM1705 – 1950RUN AT7 1

Dzaoudzi (Mayotte FOT) – Mahajanga (Madagascar)

Twice weekly service moving from Wednesday & Friday to Wednesday & Saturday.

• UU244 DZA1310 – 1355MJN 738 36
• UU245 MJN1445 – 1530DZA 738 36

 Read More Here [Airline Route]

► 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]

► BURKINA FASO: Air Burkina signs code-share with Air France.

Air Burkina (2J), the Burkinabe regional airline, is to extend its coverage to include France, with the recent signing of a code sharing agreement with Air France.

Effective 1 June, Air France has been allocating Air Burkina an unspecified number of seats on Air France's daily flight between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Ouagadougou that is operated by either an Airbus A330 or A340.

Air Burkina's Route Map

"Dominique Patry, Vice President International Affairs and Alliances Air France, stated “this partnership agreement fits into a long-term cooperation perspective. It offers an additional illustration of Air France’s strategy in Africa, aiming to work with local partners. Our ultimate ambition is to offer our customers new regional destinations operated by Air Burkina”. "

Read More Here [Air France]

Currently, Air Burkina flies to 11 cities around West Africa and will provide KLM/Air France with an important foothold into the fast growing West African aviation scene and is a development which KLM/Air France hopes to implement on other routes in West and Central Africa as well as in France and Europe.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: First pics of Air Cote d'Ivoire's A319 here!

The Ivory Coast's soon-to-be national carrier, Air Cote d'Ivoire, is set to receive its first aircraft - an Airbus A319 prior to commissioning services in July, as reported earlier by The African Aviation Tribune.

► DJIBOUTI: Air France alters Paris - Djibouti service.

Air France (AF) is to alter its present 3x weekly service from Paris to Djibouti via Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to operate via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia instead, with effect from 2 September 2012. An Airbus A330-200 is used on the route.

An Air France A330 in Djibouti (Pepa T.)

Paris CDG – Riyadh – Djibouti

• AF524 CDG1350 – 2050RUH2205 – 0030+1JIB 332 146

• AF525 JIB0220 – 0440RUH0600 – 1130CDG 332 257

Riyadh service will increase from 3 to 5 weekly as a result (existing non stop terminator service will operate as 2x weekly instead of 3x). Djibouti frequencies remain unchanged.

Paris CDG – Jeddah – Djibouti 3 weekly service operates until 2 September 2012.

• AF3870 CDG1110 – 1805JED1920 – 2125JIB 332 136

• AF3871 JIB2345 – 0150+1JED0305+1 – 0805+1CDG 332 136

Read More Here [Airline Route]

► RÉUNION: Air Austral quits Sydney, Nouméa; starts Bangkok via Chennai.

Reunion-based carrier Air Austral (UU), has decided to cancel its two weekly flights to Nouméa, New Caledonia, via Sydney, Australia with effect from 28 October 2012, in what is seen as a knock on effect of the continuing Euro-zone crisis that has been affecting airlines the world over.

Air Austral Boeing 777

The French Overseas Territory carrier had initially planned to axe the route, along with several others to the French mainland beginning summer of this year, but later reconsidered.

"An Air Austral Boeing 777 has been linking Noumea with Paris, flying via Sydney and La Reunion since early 2009.

In December, the airline said the high cost of jet fuel forced the suspension of the flights but in February it decided to keep flying the route. The latest change has been due to ongoing losses.

New Caledonia’s daily paper says the end of the service has caused concern among travellers whose route to France is now likely to be almost exclusively via Japan."

Read More Here [Radio New Zealand]

In other Air Austral related news, the carrier has announced via Twitter, a new service to Bangkok via Chennai, India to be operated with a Boeing 737-800. No schedule has yet been released.