■ TANZANIA: (Pic) fastjet unveils new brand & livery; to start ticket sales next week.

fastjet, the continent's first pan-African low cost carrier set to launch later this month, today unveiled its new brand image and aircraft livery as the carrier readies itself for ops. It also announced it will begin selling tickets next week ahead of the airline's first flight this month.

► SOUTH AFRICA: (Pics) Condor inaugurates Frankfurt - Cape Town flights.

The arrival of Condor flight DE6228 from Frankfurt to Cape Town at 10h52L today, marked the launch of  the airline's 2x weekly return Frankfurt/Cape Town flights. 

►► EGYPT: EasyJet launches Stansted - Marrakech, Sharm el Sheikh from 2013.

British LCC, EasyJet (EZY) has announced plans to launch two new North African routes from its London Stansted base as of mid February 2013. Both flights will be served with an Airbus A319.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Ghana's Starbow Airlines to add Abidjan from 8 November; Freetown, Monrovia to follow by year end.

Ghana's Starbow  Airlines (S9) are set to launch ops from its hub in Accra, Ghana to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire effective Thursday 8 November 2012, according to the carrier's Co-Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Brock Friesen, who made the announcement at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday.     

► SENEGAL: Air Cote d'Ivoire to debut with Dakar on 12 November.

Following last week's deferment, made public by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, Air Cote d'Ivoire (HF) has announced it will launch scheduled flights on 12 November with Abidjan - Dakar, Senegal to be its launch route.

► MALAYSIA: Ethiopian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines set for closer ties from early 2013 on.

Fresh from the launch of its Addis Ababa - Kuala Lumpur route launch yesterday, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has announced that plans to set up possible a code share and pro-rate agreement (an agreement between airlines to give each other a fixed price for interlining) with Malaysian carrier, Malaysian Airlines (MH), are at an advanced stage and could come to fruitition "as early as next year, 2013."

► MOZAMBIQUE: (Pics) Qatar Airways launches 3x weekly Maputo flights.

Qatar Airways (QR) today inaugurated the first of three weekly services to the Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo. Touching down in Maputo enroute from Doha and Johannesburg, QR584 arrived to a water salute and a welcome by traditional dancers followed by an airport ceremony attended by more than 80 local dignitaries and media.

► HONG KONG: Air Seychelles to start 3x weekly Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi flights from 2013.

Seychelles national carrier (HM), today announced intentions to start flights between Mahé, Seychelles and Hong Kong (SAR) China via Abu Dhabi, UAE effective February 2013.

► ETHIOPIA: Etihad postpones Addis Ababa launch citing "Ethiopian CAA rejection".

Abu Dhabi based carrier Etihad Airways (EY) has announced the indefinite postponement of its inaugural Abu Dhabi - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia flight, set to begin this Friday, 2 November 2012.

► ZIMBABWE: (Pics) KLM resumes Harare after 13 year hiatus.

A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Airbus A330-200 operating flight KL523 touched down 30 minutes early at 20.57L at Harare International Airport this evening, signifying the resumption of services to Amsterdam, cancelled 13 years ago.

► KENYA: Italy's Livingston Compagnia Aerea announces Kenya, Zanzibar, Mauritius for Winter 2012/2013.

Italy's Livingston Compagnia Aerea (JN), successor to the now defunct Italian airlines Livingston Energy Flight and Windjet (IV), has outlined plans for its proposed Winter 2012/2013 network.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: (Pics) Ouattara officially presented Air Cote d'Ivoire's aircraft but inaugural flights delayed again.

Air Cote d'Ivoire (VRE), the joint venture between the Government of Ivory Coast, Air France and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, is to postpone its inaugural flight once more, this time "for a few weeks" likely implying a November launch.

► 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.

► RWANDA: See Pics of RwandAir's first CRJ-900NG arriving in Kigali!

Rwandan national carrier Rwandair (WB) has officially received its first of two Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 900NGs (MSN# 15286 | 9XR-WH) following a hand-over ceremony in Montreal, Canada and a delivery flight routed Montréal - Goose Bay - Reykjavík - Ancona - Aswan - Kigali.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Fly Go-Air to finally start ops in November?

Fly Go-Air, the off and on again, niche carrier aimed at the premium market in South Africa, has announced it will launch operations in late November from its hub at Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport with plans to start Polokwane and Pietermaritzburg in January. In the near future, the airline is also considering flights to Bloemfontein and George and from KMIA to Cape Town.

► GAMBIA: Vueling announces Banjul, Nador, Casablanca, Fez, Tangier from Summer 2013.

Spanish LCC, Vueling (VY), has announced services from Barcelona to Banjul, Gambia and Casablanca, Fez, Nador and Tangier in Morocco effective Summer 2013.

► BRAZIL: Ethiopian Airlines delays Sao Paulo launch over lousy slot times.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET), originally meant to have launched their first South American route of Addis Ababa - Sao Paulo, Brazil via Lome, Togo (3x weekly Boeing 787 from December 2012), have now postponed the launch of flights to March 2013 owing to "the inconvenient slot given the airline" by the Brazilian aviation authorities.

►► ZIMBABWE: SA Express launches Durban - Harare from October onwards.

[UPDATE 12 OCTOBER] Following on from its launch of direct Durban - Lusaka flights in July, South African regional carrier, SA Express (XZ), today announced in the Zimbabwean press that it will start a 3x weekly direct Durban, South Africa - Harare, Zimbabwe service using a Bombardier CRJ-200, effective 3 October 2012. 

► FRANCE: Air Arabia Maroc launches Casablanca - Toulouse from late October.

Moroccan LCC, Air Arabia Maroc (3O), will from 28 October 2012, start once weekly Sunday flights between Casablanca, Morocco and Toulouse, France, which will increase to a twice weekly service (an added Thursday flight) from mid-November onwards.

► TANZANIA: FastJet to launch with 3x daily Dar es Salaam - Nairobi flights.

FastJet have announced their debut route; that of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya and return. The route's debut flight will operate as a return VIP flight with 3x daily service between the two East African capitals to follow. No specific date, however, was given for the start of operations, though recent news reports have hinted at a possible November date launch.