► ANGOLA: TAAG announces changes to Cabinda, Catumbela and Ondjiva flights.

In continuation of our previous post regarding TAAG Angolan Airlines (DT)'s new Northern Summer 2013 schedule, the Angolan flag carrier has announced variations to its domestic timetable effective 31 March.

►► UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways increases capacity to Cairo, Luanda, Johannesburg in 2013.

[UPDATE 26 MARCH] British Airways (BA) has announced various changes to its African timetable to come into effect for the Northern Summer 2013.

■ DUBAI: Increase TAAG's flights to Dubai says UAE Foreign Minister.

The United Arab Emirates wants TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT) to boost its flights between Dubai and Luanda claiming that the increase would help stimulate trade.

■ ANGOLA: Plans for TAAG civil aviation academy in the pipeline: Carreira.

At a press conference held in Luanda last week to update the public on the airline's restructuring and reorientation program, Rui Carriera, the Executive Director of TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), said the Angolan flag carrier intends to make staff training and skill development a priority in the coming years through the opening of a civil aviation academy. 

►► 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.

■ NAMIBIA: Air Namibia settles its bill with Engen; Frankfurt nonstop resumes.

Air Namibia's (SW) has settled its outstanding debt with fuel supplier, South African based Engen. Fuel bills have continuously hurt the Namibian national carrier's coffers with an estimated 40% of revenue going to fuel related expenses alone.

► SOUTH AFRICA: TAAG Angolan Airlines goes 3x weekly to Cape Town from April.

From 1 April, TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, is to boost its Luanda - Cape Town frequency from twice weekly to 3x weekly, with the addition of a Wednesday flight. Ops are flown with a Boeing 737-700.

► ANGOLA: SAA switches Lagos, Luanda to A340-300 from late March.

According to AirlineRoute, as per the 14FEB13 GDS timetable and inventory display, South African Airways (SA) is to adjust its operational aircraft in service to Lagos and Luanda, effective 31MAR13. The Airbus A340-300 aircraft will replace the A340-600 in service in the routes currently.

► ANGOLA: TAAG adjusts Brazil, Portugal operations from February to March.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, will from 27FEB13 to 30MAR13 adjust its operations, which will see its Brazil service operated with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft while Lisbon switches to an all-Boeing 777-300ER operation. 

► TANZANIA: A look at Precision Air's network expansion plans for 2016.

Rwandan aviation blog, Rwandan-Flyer, reports that Tanzanian private carrier and interim flag carrier, Precision Air (PW), is planning a big regional expansion programme in the coming months with new services to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Angola and Mozambique to be added by 2016.

► 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.

► ANGOLA: TAAG set to order 3 additional 777-300ERs for delivery from 2019 onwards.

On the back of an 11% increase in passenger numbers posted for 2012, TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, is to purchase an additional three Boeing 777-300ERs due for delivery from 2019/2020.

►► SPAIN: Iberia to drop Cairo; to boost capacity to Casablanca, Algiers, Dakar, Nouakchott, and Malabo.

[UPDATE 30 JANUARY] Spanish carrier, Iberia (IB), has announced details of its new commercial and routes policies under the Transformation Plan it announced recently with various routes in Africa to be affected, for better and for worse.

■ ANGOLA: TAAG's first Green Initative pays off handsomely with savings of $35mln.

Angolan national carrier, TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), over the period between November 2011 and late 2012, was able to save USD35million (AOA3.5billion) following the successful implementation of its first Green program to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions said the company's CEO, Pimentel Araújo, in his year-end message.

► TURKEY: "Leaked" document purportedly shows Turkish Airlines' planned Africa route expansion plans for 2013.

A leaked document (and we use the term "leaked" in the loosest possible way) purporting to show Turkish Airlines' (TK) intended route expansion time line has been published on the web. According to the document, TK is planning an aggressive expansion into West and Central Africa though Southern Africa appears to remain largely neglected for the foreseeable future.

► DUBAI: Emirates eyes fastjet as potential feeder airline in Africa.

Emirates (EK) has confirmed its interest in partnering recently launched Tanzanian based LCC, fastjet (FN) having previously allured to a possible deal in the past, albeit only in broad terms.

Spurred on by Africa’s rapid economic growth amid increased trade with Asian economies, the Middle Eastern carrier is looking to connect the bulk of the continent’s travellers to the rest of the world through its Dubai hub with budget airlines set to "feed" it with cargo and passengers via major cities like Nairobi, Dakar and Luanda.

■ ANGOLA: Luanda's 4 de Fevereiro Airport to get Thales radar.

The CEO and Chairman of Angola’s airport and air traffic authority Empresa Nacional de Aeroportos e Navegação Aérea (ENANA), Manuel Ceita, on Friday said that Angola would, by 2014, have the country's first radar to support air traffic control, to be situated at Luanda's Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport.

►► CHINA: TAAG Angolan increases flights to Beijing from November.

[UPDATE 12 NOVEMBER 2012] Effective 1 November 2012, Angolan national carrier, TAAG Angola Airlines (DT), will double its Boeing 777-200ER operated flights between Luanda, Angola and Beijing, China from once weekly, to twice weekly.

► DUBAI: Emirates looks to partner African LCC airlines in bid to establish feeder networks.

Emirati carrier Emirates (EK) has allured to plans it has for future partnerships with Africa-focused low-cost carriers as the mega-carrier moves to boost its presence on the continent.

► ANGOLA: Aeroflot pulls out of Luanda from mid October.

Russia's Aeroflot (SU) is to pull out of the Angolan capital, Luanda effective 16 October 2012. The route - Moscow Sheremetyevo – Hurghada, Egypt – Luanda, Angola - is presently served twice weekly by an Airbus A320.