► TANZANIA: Precision Air to restart Arusha from July; postpones Lubumbashi & Lusaka.

With renovations to the runway at Arusha's International Airport nearing completion, Tanzanian private carrier Precision Air (PW) has announced the resumption of daily flights to Arusha with effect from July 10. For the duration of the renovation works, passengers have had to use Kilimanjaro International Airport - 50 km away. 

► MALAWI: Air Malawi struggles to get back on feet; rebuild confidence.

Having been forced to temporarily cease operations last year due to lack of aircraft, Air Malawi (QM) has been finding the going hard since re-entering the market for both regional and domestic flights.

Upon resuming flights on 29 March 2012 to Johannesburg using a leased Boeing 737-200, the airline encountered severe customer backlash as it was forced to fly a solitary passenger to Lusaka shortly after - a phenomenon not unknown to southern African airlines these days.

However, in an attempt to woe back passenger numbers on the domestic Lilongwe-Blantyre front, Air Malawi says it has carefully designed schedules for its daily flights between Blantyre and Lilongwe to serve the needs of business travellers between the two cities, using its Boeing 737 and ATR-42.

"Air Malawi's Tariffs and Industry Affairs Manager Tony Chimpukuso said the flights have  already proved useful and convenient for local travellers as it leaves early in the morning in Blantyre and returns late in the evening to enable customers do all their business assignments during the day.

The flights also operate during weekends, according to Chimpukuso."

Read More Here [The Daily Times Malawi]

The updates come as Malawi is scheduled to hold a summit of the African Union in July.

► SOUTH AFRICA: SA Express to start Durban - Lusaka from July; Zimbabwe, DRC, Malawi to follow.

The Zambian Government has approved SA Express' (XZ) application to start Durban - Lusaka from July 2012, using a CRJ-200 Regional Jet on a 3x weekly frequency with the possibility of increasing to 6x weekly, given route viability.

"Company communications manager Lulu Bam, however said dates for the inaugural flight will be announced after all is set.She said the new route is an extremely important market for the airline in view of the vast economic growth adding that, “Lusaka is a fastest growing economy with potential for growth since it has a lot of demand and it is a preferable market for SA companies.” Ms Bam said Harare, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi will be considered in the near future."

Read More Here[Daily Mail Zambia]

● MALAWI: Joyce Banda: I can do without a Presidential Jet.

In stark contrast to her Swazi counterpart, King Mswati III who this week welcomed a "gift" McDonnell Douglas MD-87 despite his country's grinding poverty, new Malawian President, Joyce Banda, has put the issue of keeping her country's presidential jet - a Dassault Falcon 900- to her cabinet for debate.

Bought amid great criticism from locals and donors, the Dassault Falcon 900 was thought to have cost the Malawian taxpayer USD$13.26 million. Ultimately, the purchase caused the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) to slash aid funds to the country.

Read More Here [NyasaTimes]