►► KENYA: First of four Kenya Airways Boeing 737-300s set for Cargo conversion.

[UPDATE 18 MARCH] Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced plans to convert four of its six Boeing 737-300s into regional cargo freighters in a move that will see the carriers' cargo division, Kenya Airways Cargo, increasing its presence in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa.

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Launch of Air CEMAC delayed once more; this time until late 2013.

As prognosticated by The African Aviation Tribune in November 2012, Air CEMAC, the planned regional carrier to link Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and São Tomé & Príncipe, has indeed been forced to delay its intended January 2013 launch date, this time, to November/December 2013.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): Air Kasaï due to take delivery of first ATR 72.

Kinshasa-based Air Kasaï is planning to take delivery of its first, and the Democratic Republic of Congo's first, ATR72 (MSN 408 | 9Q-?) according to Skyliner.de. The delivery will mark the relaunch of the airline into the local and regional market.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): New national carrier to début in June as Government moves to recertify all Congolese carriers under IATA supervision.

Justin Kalunga, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Minster of Transport, says a new national airline has already been white-papered and approved by his government with a new strategic partner set to be chosen in due course. The new airline, due to take delivery of its first aircraft in June, will replace the current quasi-defunct national carrier, LAC Lignes Aériennes Congolaises (4V). The move is one of the initiatives the Congolese are undertaking to ameliorate the country's poor aviation safety record and international image.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Karinou Airlines to add a Boeing 737-300 in April.

Centrafricair o/a Karinou Airlines (KRN), a private carrier based out of the Central African Republic, is to boost its fleet with the arrival of a Boeing 737-300 due in April which will join its current lone Boeing 737-200ADV (MSN 23109 | TL-AEG) formerly with Lebanon's Med Airways.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Comair Ltd, SAA, SA Airlink set sights on regional expansion.

South African Airways (SA), its subsidiary SA Airlink (4Z) and competitor Comair Ltd, the British Airways franchise holder in South Africa in addition to owning LCC Kulula, have applied for new frequencies to the Democratic Republic of the Congo amongst other destinations as South African carriers seek to broaden their market bases.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to get two ERJ135s; to start Munich, London, Nairobi, Mauritius flights in March?

A new dossier on Air Zimbabwe (UM) entitled "Aircraft rotation for summer 2013" purportedly showing the carrier's service resumption plans for Summer 2013, has been published with Embraer Regional Jets set to join the fleet. Additionally, flights to the UK, Germany, Ghana, Mauritius, Kenya and Nigeria are planned.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): Belgium, Congo ink new BASA with Jetairfly now wanting in on the action.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and its former colonial power, Belgium, on Saturday 2 February signed a revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) replacing that which was signed in 1965, five years after the DRC's independence. New provisions include increased frequencies to the DRC for Belgian carriers while Belgium, in return, will aide the DRC in its quest to improve its international safety image.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): RVA launches study for new cargo facility at N'djili International Airport.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's aviation authority, Régie des Voies Aériennes de la République Démocratique du Congo (RVA), has embarked on a €280'000 study for the construction of a new cargo facility at Kinshasa's N'djili International Airport.

► MOZAMBIQUE: See Pics of VistaJet's ongoing Global 6000 Business Jet Africa Tour, set to stop in Maputo next.

Vistajet, the Swiss company luxury jet company specializing in short term leasing, has taken its Bombardier Global 6000 jet on a global roadshow with Africa being the first leg. Thus far, Kumasi, Accra, Abuja, Lagos, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Luanda, Johannesburg, Cape Town have been visited with Maputo, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam still left.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): See Pics of Kabila's refurbished Presidential 707 due back in Kinshasa.

The Congolese Government is set to take redelivery of its Presidential Boeing 707-138B (MSN 64 | 9Q-CLK) used by strongman Joseph Kabila for international flights. The aircraft is one of 13 unique aircraft built for Qantas (QF) in 1959 and is also a sister-ship to John Travolta's Boeing 707.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): CAA considering an eventual buy out of flyCongo?

According to CH-Aviation, CAA - Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (FPY), the Kinshasa-based Congolese carrier, is said to be planning the eventual acquisition of partner, flyCongo (EO), the successor to the now defunct Hewa Bora Airways, with whom it has been in a partnership since October 2012.

► BELGIUM: brussels airlines announces changes to its West & Central Africa network for Summer 2013.

Belgian carrier brussels airlines (SN) has announced various frequency fluctuations on its West and Central African route networks, effective late-February 2013.

► BENIN: Westair Bénin announces vast West African expansion with Dakar, Conakry, Banjul and Lagos to come.

Béninois carrier Westair Bénin (WH) has announced plans to expand operations out of its Cotonou base to Dakar, Conakry, Banjul and Lagos having already announced a greatly expanded network and timetable in mid December.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Karinou Airlines to go regional in early 2013.

Amidst a turbulent political climate, Karinou Airlines (KRN), formerly Africa Airlines, has outlined plans to launch scheduled regional operations out of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, possibly in early January.

► CONGO (KINSHASA): Arik Air starts Lagos - Kinshasa from 5 December.

Nigeria’s largest commercial carrier, Arik Air (W3), has announced the start of twice weekly flights from Lagos to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo effective 5 December 2012.

► MALI: Douniah Airlines to start ops from 2013.

Malian startup, Douniah Airlines (DTS), is planning to launch operations from January 2013 using a Boeing 737-300. Its initial routes will encompass various destinations in West and Central Africa.

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): (Pics) N'djili Airport Runway 06/24 rehabilitation nearing completion.

Kinshasa's N'Djili International Airport's runway 06/24 refurbishment.

Kinshasa's N'Djili International Airport's runway 06/24 refurbishment is nearing completion, after more than 58 years of neglect, mismanagement and successive wars left it seriously damaged (cracks, rot, potholes, subsidence, reduced exploitable length),  thereby making landing and takeoffs both difficult and dangerous.

► NIGERIA: Etihad Cargo launches 15 new West African destinations via its reactivated Lagos hub.

Etihad Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways (EY), will re-introduce a weekly freighter service from Abu Dhabi to the Nigerian city of Lagos, effective November 15. The service will be complemented by the addition of 16 new interline destinations across West Africa.

■ NIGERIA: Arik Air celebrates 6th birthday, plans large network expansion.

Nigeria's largest carrier, Arik Air (W3), celebrated its 6th birthday at an event held at its corporate headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.