■ ZAMBIA: Successful bidder for new $200m terminal at Lusaka's KK International Airport to be announced in next few weeks: NACL.

Zambia's National Airports Corporation Ltd should, in the next two weeks, announce the winner of the contract for the construction of a new passenger terminal at Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. The terminal is part of a USD500million project to upgrade the airport as a whole.

► ZIMBABWE: Ethiopian introduces extra 3x weekly Lusaka, Harare service from mid February.

Effective 27 January 2013, Ethiopian Airlines will adjust its Zimbabwe and Zambia operations with 3 out of its 7 weekly Addis Ababa – Harare – Lusaka – Addis Ababa flights to operate as Addis Ababa – Lusaka – Harare – Addis Ababa. Then, effective 18 February, an additional 3x weekly red eye flight operated with a Boeing 737-700 will be introduced bringing the overall frequency to 10.

► UGANDA: British Airways 767 enroute from Lusaka to Heathrow suffers engine failure; diverts to Entebbe.

A British Airways Boeing 767-300 (MSN 25442 | G-BNWO) enroute from Lusaka, Zambia to London Heathrow, United Kingdom on Monday 14 January 2013 as flight BA254 was forced to divert to Entebbe, Uganda following the failure of its starboard engine.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian announces 787 operational changes for Q1 2013.

Online aviation resource AirlineRoute states that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is to apply further changes to its planned Boeing 787 operation over the coming three months.

► ZAMBIA: Ethiopian Airlines to start Ndola ops from March 2013 as Kenya Airways adds direct Saturday flight.

Zambia's third largest city, Ndola, is to see an increase in its regional connectivity with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) set to launch 3x weekly Boeing 737-700 flights to the Copperbelt from 31 March 2013, whilst competitor, Kenya Airways (KQ), is to introduce a once weekly Embrarer E190 Nairobi – Ndola terminator service, also effective 31 March 2013.

■ ZAMBIA: Ethiopian outlines its fleet plans for new Zambian subsidiary, set to launch in late 2013.

Ethiopian Airlines' (ET) CEO Tewolde Gebremariam has outlined the carrier's planned start-up in Zambia, set to begin ops in late 2013. At first glance, the airline's fleet will bare strong similarities to the carrier's West African subsidiary, ASKY Airlines (KP), in which Ethiopian Airlines currently has a 40% shareholding.

► ZAMBIA: DC9 crash landing this morning was just a simulation: AFP

Those of you who follow us on Twitter will have been aware this morning of an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report coming from Lusaka, Zambia of a crash landing of a DC 9 (and in some cases, a DC 10 was even reported) with 93 people aboard at Lusaka International. It was even tweeted that "some 20 people had been rescued".

► ZAMBIA: Zambezi Airlines ceases ops until 2013?

News reports out of Zambia are claiming that private carrier, Zambezi Airlines (ZJ), has ceased operations owing to a serious liquidity crunch.

● UGANDA: Ethiopian asked to help resurrect Uganda Airlines as Tanzania & DRC are considered for a Central African hub.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) management has taken its search for a suitable regional hub in central and southern Africa to Tanzania, Congo (Kinshasa) and Uganda. Zambia, too, is to be visited, having recently held talks with Ethiopian officials in Addis Ababa over the possibility of establishing the carrier's "southern hub" in Lusaka.

►► ZAMBIA: Ethiopian to operate 787/777 service to Harare & Lusaka for duration of October.

[UPDATE 7 NOVEMBER 2012] Despite having previously announced that its originally intended Boeing 787  Dreamliner service from Addis Ababa to Harare, Zimbabwe and Lusaka, Zambia was cancelled, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has loaded a 6x weekly Dreamliner service onto the route, with a Boeing 777-200LR once weekly starting 30 September 2012 and valid until 27 October 2012.

► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia announces numerous changes to its timetable from January 2013 onwards.

Air Namibia (SW) has announced various changes to its operational schedule. These changes are to take effect from 15 January 2013 onwards.

► ZAMBIA: Proflight Zambia issued AOC; to start ops to Harare in due course.

Proflight Zambia (P0), a private Zambian outfit, have at long last been granted their Aircraft Operational Certificate (AOC) by the Zambian Department of Civil Aviation, which will allow them to launch regional services to Harare, Zimbabwe amongst others.

► ZIMBABWE: (Pics) KLM resumes Harare after 13 year hiatus.

A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Airbus A330-200 operating flight KL523 touched down 30 minutes early at 20.57L at Harare International Airport this evening, signifying the resumption of services to Amsterdam, cancelled 13 years ago.

■ ZAMBIA: Ethiopia and Zambia close to signing BASA that will transform Lusaka into an Ethiopian Airlines hub.

As an addendum to our post on Friday regarding Zambia's ongoing aviation infrastructural improvement programme and its government's plans to form a new national carrier, Zambia's Ambassador in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia today announced the signing of a "number of economic, scientific and technical measures aimed at boosting existing bilateral relations" between the two countries.

► ZAMBIA: Emirates A330 suffers port engine failure after takeoff from Lusaka, returns safely.

On Sunday 21 October, an Emirates (EK) Airbus A330-200 (MCN 525 |A6-EAP) plying the Lusaka - Dubai route as flight EK714, suffered an uncontained port engine failure, 30 minutes into its flight. The crew promptly shut down the engine and opted to return to Lusaka for a safe landing, contrary to early sensational news reports out of Zambia which claimed "the plane had a tyre burst and slipped into the bush, receiving considerable damage."

■ ZAMBIA: Ambitious aviation infrastructure projects to pave the way for Zambia Airways 2.0?

According to reports in the Zambian press, the Government there is said to be considering various business models, necessary in setting up a rejuvenated national airline, almost 20 years after the liquidation of national carrier, Zambia Airways (QZ).

► ZIMBABWE: FreshAir to start Vic Falls - Joburg in November, just as 1Time pulls out of Livingstone.

Zimbabwean LCC startup, FreshAir, the 51/49 joint venture between Nu.Com (Pvt) Ltd of Zimbabwe and 1Time Holdings Ltd of South Africa, are set to launch operations on 2 November 2012 with Victoria Falls - Johannesburg (ORTIA), South Africa as their initial route.

 

►► ETHIOPIA: Wishy-washy Ethiopian Airlines attempts to make up its mind with new 787 destination route list.

After at least 3 revisions and constant changes to its intended Boeing 787 Dreamliner launch routes, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) appears to have finally made up its mind and will take the very diplomatic route of flying their 787 to a variety destinations as a means of showcasing their latest aircraft.

Ethiopian's 787 in Seattle (moonm)

► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia announces numerous changes to its timetable from October onwards.

As part of their strategy of efficient utilisation of their aircraft, Namibian carrier Air Namibia (SW) have again announced various changes to both their regional and international network, effective from October 2012 (the precise dates are subject to each individual post).

► ZIMBABWE: Emirates switches to Boeing 777 on Harare/Lusaka flights from February 2013.

Dubai based carrier Emirates (EK) will, from 1 February 2013, switch from an Airbus A330-200 to a Boeing 777-300ER on its daily Dubai - Lusaka - Harare route. The date is iconic in that it will be the 1 year anniversary of the route's introduction.

Economy Class cabin on-board an Emirates 777-300ER (moaksey)

Emirates: Dubai - Lusaka, Zambia - Harare, Zimbabwe
- Effective 01 February 2013

• EK713 DXB 0925 - 1450 LUN 1620 - 1720 HRE 77W 1234567
• EK714 HRE 1850 - 1950 LUN 2120 - 0640+1 DXB 77W 1234567

Source [Amadeus]

It was expected that the Emirati carrier would decouple the two African destinations from one another at some stage, though this has apparently changed.