► JAPAN: Egyptair wants to drop Tokyo and Osaka routes citing poor governmental support.

The Associated Press is reporting that Egyptian national carrier, Egyptair (MS), says it will cease operating flights to Japan until further notice citing "major economic losses and lack of support from either the Egyptian or Japanese governments."

► DUBAI: RwandAir resumes Mombasa - Dubai, reduces Bujumbura frequencies from February.

Rwandair (WB) has announced the resumption of its 5th freedom flights between Mombasa (Kenya) and Dubai with3x weekly flights effective 02FEB13. Additionally, the carrier will from 01FEB13 reduce its current service to the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, from 3x to 2x daily flights, following the suspension of flights to Mwanza (Tanzania) effective 31JAN13.

►► 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.

► TANZANIA: British Airways axes Dar es Salaam, reduces Entebbe, switches Mauritius to daytime flights.

British Airways (BA) will, with effect from 31 March 2013, cancel its 3x weekly London Heathrow - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania flight as part of its Summer 2013 route rationalization programme. The carrier is to reduce its Entebbe, Uganda frequencies as well.

►► MOZAMBIQUE: Federal Air drops Joburg - Vilanculos from 2013.

[UPDATE 12 JANUARY] Federal Airlines (7V) has announced that, effective February 1, it will cease its Johannesburg ORTIA - Vilanculos, Mozambique route, with the last operational flight on January 31. The flight currently operates daily with an ATR42.

► SUDAN: KLM drops Khartoum, Addis Ababa from March 2013.

AirlineRoute is reporting that effective 31 March 2013, KLM is cancelling its Amsterdam – Khartoum – Addis Ababa route, where it currently operates 3x weekly service using an Airbus A330-200. Reservation for this route is closed and flights being removed from the system. Existing schedule as follows.

► CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Ethiopian Airlines axes Bangui.

In another blow to the region of central Africa following Kenya Airways' (KQ) termination of Ndjamena, Chad flights last week, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has dropped Bangui, Central Africa Republic from its schedule. Its Lomé, Togo-based subsidiary, ASKY Airlines (KP), however, will still continue to operate there.

► CHAD: Kenya Airways rumoured to have dropped Ndjamena flights citing high taxes, poor loads.

Reports out of Chad claim that numerous passengers have been left stranded in the Chadian capital Ndjamena after Kenya Airways (KQ) "suddenly" dropped its Nairobi - Ndjamena route. In corroboration, reservation system Amadeus shows no flights available either now, or in the future, though no official confirmation has yet been heard from the Kenyan national carrier itself.