► MAYOTTE: New Indian Ocean regional carrier, Ewa, eyes Madagascar, Tanzania, Comoros and Mozambique flights from Q4.

La Réunion-based carrier, Air Austral (UU), is set to partner the Mayotte Chamber of Commerce and Industry among other shareholders in setting up a new regional carrier to be based out of Dzaoudzi.

► KENYA: Astral Aviation outlines expanded regional cargo network; to replace DC9s with MD83Fs.

Kenyan cargo operator, Astral Aviation (8V), has announced an enhanced intra-African freighter schedule which is based on a cautious expansion strategy to increase connectivity from its Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International hub to the East African region.

► COMOROS: Inter Îles Air resumes flights with Saab 340; eyes Madagascar, Tanzania ops from June.

Comorian carrier, Inter Îles Air (ZXA), has resumed services with a Saab 340. The airline had suspended operations following the crash of its Embraer 120ER (MSN: 120-149 | D6-HUA) off the coast of Hahaya, Grande Comore on November 27, 2012.

► SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet's launch delayed until July - Bodin.

As previously speculated by The African Aviation Tribune, fastjet (FN), has indeed announced a postponement in its planned South African venture with flights now set to commence from July 1, the carrier's chief  commercial officer, Richard Bodin, has said.

► ZIMBABWE: fastjet rumoured to be starting Victoria Falls flights from June.

UK-based Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN), is reportedly to commence regional operations to the Zimbabwean resort town of Victoria Falls starting June 4, Swiss aviation newswire ch-aviation reports.

► TANZANIA: British Airways to only resume Dar es Salaam flights once market is conducive.

British Airways (BA) could make a return to Dar es Salaam once market conditions are conducive, the Deputy British High Commissioner to Tanzania, Julian Chandler, has said. British Airways pulled its three times weekly service to the Tanzanian capital on March 31.

► TANZANIA: Tanganyika Flying Co. & Safarilink announce codeshare deal.

After many weeks of system testing, East African tourism aviation specialists, Safarilink (F2) and Tanganyika Flying Co (TFC), have announced the launch of a codeshare agreement that is fully integrated into both their reservation systems. This will allow travel industry customers of either airline to book flights from either carrier from within one carrier’s reservation system. 

■ TANZANIA: Precision Air claims Zanzibar flights unaffected by taxman woes.

Precision Air (PW), has moved to refute claims published in Tanzanian paper, The Daily News, claiming the Zanzibar Revenue Board had restricted the carrier's flights to the island of Zanzibar as well as closing the company's offices over unpaid taxes.

► UNITED KINGDOM: AV Cargo Airlines plans African cargo ops from May onwards.

AV Cargo Airlines, the phoenix that has risen the ashes of Zimbabwe's bankrupt Avient Cargo Airlines (Z3) has introduced the first of three planned additional MD11 freighters (MSN 48746 | N278WA) into its fleet with flights to Africa planned in due course.

► RWANDA: Rwandair announces further changes to its Summer 2013 schedule.

AirlineRoute reports that as per the 23APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, Rwandan national carrier, Rwandair (WB), will further revise its planned operation for Summer 2013 season, effective 01JUN13. 

► KENYA: fastjet, Don Smith agree to kiss and makeup.

Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN), has announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Don Smith, CEO of FiveForty Aviation Limited which trades in Kenya as Fly540, thereby paving the way forward for the two to end a long standing legal battle over payment and licensing agreements in Africa.

■ TANZANIA: See Rendering for Dar es Salaam's new $170million Terminal III to be built by BAM International.

The Tanzanian Airport Authority has signed a contract worth USD170million with Dutch construction firm, BAM International, for the construction of a new international terminal (Terminal 3) at Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International (JNIA).

► TANZANIA: fastjet suspends Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, Mwanza just 4 weeks after their launch.

Tanzanian LCC, fastjet (FN) has announced it is temporarily suspending two of its routes between Kilimanjaro and Mwanza, and between Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, effective immediately, due to what it calls "low demand during the rainy season."

■ TANZANIA: New and improved Bukoba airport to open next month says TAA.

Bukoba Airport, situated along the southern shores of Lake Victoria, is expected to reopen next month according to the Tanzanian Airports Authority (TAA) following the conclusion of rehabilitation and extension works to the airport's runway 13/31, and rehabilitation of the terminal building.

► TANZANIA: Auric Air announces interim timetable changes effective 19 April.

Tanzania's Auric Air (H8) has announced an updated timetable to come into effect from 19 April 2013, as noted on its site. The airline operates an exclusively domestic Tanzanian service.

► ANGOLA: More foreign carriers making a beeline to Luanda's door as calls for higher route frequencies grow louder.

RAM - Royal Air Maroc (AT) and Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have joined a growing chorus of carriers servicing the Angolan capital, Luanda, in asking the Instituto Nacional da Aviação Civil (the National Institute of Civil Aviation - INAVIC) to increase their frequencies on the lucrative route. 

► RWANDA: Rwandair announces further Summer 2013 schedule changes.

Following on from our previous post, Rwandair (WB) will, according to the 08APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, adjust a number of its operations from 01JUN13 in preparation for the Summer 2013 season.

► KENYA: SafariLink to only accept passengers with prevalidated visas on Kilimanjaro - Masai Mara flights from June.

Safarilink Aviation (XLK), the Kenyan regional airline based at Nairobi's Wilson Airport, has announced that from 15 June, owing to lengthy delays in the issuance of visas at Nairobi Wilson Airport, it will only guarantee a connection on its Kilimanjaro - Masai Mara service to arriving passengers who already have a valid visa in their passports.

■ TANZANIA: TAA forks out $12'000 for land feasibility study for new Sumbawanga airport.

The Tanzanian Airport Authority (TAA) has allocated more than USD12'000 (TZS20million) for the evaluation of an area at Kisumba Village for the construction of a "modern, spacious airport" to serve Sumbawanga Municipality in Rukwa District, south western Tanzania.

► UGANDA: Air Uganda announces changes to Juba, Dar es Salaam ops effective 1 May.

In continuation to our previous post, Air Uganda (U7) has updated its schedule with changes to Entebbe - Dar es Salaam, Entebbe - Juba (South Sudan) routes coming into effect from 01MAY.