►► ZIMBABWE: See Pics of Air Zimbabwe's A320 along with other updates.

[UPDATE 5 JANUARY] On a recent trip to Harare International Airport, we were lucky to spot one of Air Zimbabwe's (UM) two Airbus A320s rumoured to be starting service fairly soon, amongst other juicy tid bits.

► 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.

► ZIMBABWE: Egyptair to resume Harare from June 2013.

Egyptair (MS) has joined the list of foreign carriers returning to the Zimbabwean capital with plans to tentatively start a 4x weekly Boeing 737-800 operated Harare via Dar Es Salaam service from 1 June 2013. The Egyptian national carrier last served Harare in 2003 as an intermediate stop between Cairo and Johannesburg using an Airbus A340-200.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet set to acquire 1Time for R1 with flights due in early 2013.

Following the recent announcement that it was in talks to buy 1Time (T6), the South African low cost airline that went into liquidation last month, fastjet(FN), has entered into an option agreement to buy the entire issued share capital of 1time Airline from its parent company, 1time Holdings Limited, for ZAR1 (USD0.12). Initially, the airline will operate with three 1Time aircraft before Airbus A319s are added and the airline completely rebranded to fastjet.

■ ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe renews membership of Galileo, Sabre and Amadeus as IATA Safety Audit is slated for next week.

Air Zimbabwe (UM), now back in the air for almost 1 month, are clawing their way back onto the regional market, with news that they have renewed their memberships with CRSs  Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre and Travel Sky from whom they were suspended in May 2011 following non payment of fees.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to launch further regional ops shortly as Minister dismisses any KLM partnership as a "dream".

Troubled Zimbabwean national carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM) has announced further route developments and equipment changes as it looks to resume international operations in the new year.

■ ZIMBABWE: Government crafts law to protect Air Zim from creditors; puts 74% stake in UM up for grabs.

The Zimbabwean Government is once again looking for a strategic partner for Air Zimbabwe (UM). In a new proposal, a 74% shareholding in the ailing national carrier is to be put up for grabs after a previous deal with China's Hainan Airlines (HU), in February, broke down over Air Zimbabwe’s reluctance to grant Hainan a 65% stake rather than 45% as proposed.

► ZIMBABWE: Very low pax uptake for Air Zimbabwe's regional routes.

In what is fast becoming a bad trait associated with Air Zimbabwe (UM), the carrier on Monday, flew an empty (i.e no pax) Boeing 767 aircraft from Johannesburg to Harare on its inaugural flight, as the carrier struggles to resume regional operations.

■ ZIMBABWE: Unlucky FreshAir hoping to relaunch in December as 1Time officially heads for liquidation.

Nu-Aero, the 51% majority shareholders in Zimbabwean LCC, Fresh Air (Z7), have stated that flights between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg (ORTIA), South Africa "could" resume as early as next month, in time to capitalize on the Christmas period, if a suitable technical partner can be found.

►► 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.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Air Zimbabwe unveils Johannesburg timetable; to charge USD420 return.

Air Zimbabwe (UM) have unveiled their proposed timetable for Harare - Johannesburg (ORTIA), South Africa flights set to begin 12 November 2012. The 4x weekly flights will initially be operated with a Boeing 767-200ER, before switching to an Airbus A320.

► 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.

► ZIMBABWE: Boardroom chaos delays Air Zimbabwe's relaunch.

Following on from our previous post on the subject in September, Zimbabwean parastatal and national carrier, Air Zimbabwe (UM)'s plans to resume regional and international flights, have been scuppered due to "boardroom squabbles", reports the government mouthpiece, the ZBC (Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation).

► ZIMBABWE: FlyKumba's management venture into the helicopter business.

Lloyd Muchaka and South African based Zimbabwean investor, Patrick Chapwanya, the co-founders of the now defunct Zimbabwean LCC, FlyKumba (FKZ), have been granted a licence by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe for their helicopter company, Chikopokopo Helicopters, set to operate out of Victoria Falls.

► 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.

 

► ZIMBABWE: Crappy runway lighting at Harare forces South African Airways to bring forward Joburg evening flight departures.

After an incident on Monday last week in which South African Airways (SA) canceled its evening flight from Johannesburg to Harare, Zimbabwe citing poor lighting on runway 05/23 at Harare International Airport, the South African national carrier has now confirmed that it has changed its night flights to Harare to an earlier departure time.  

►► ZIMBABWE: SA Express launches Durban - Harare from October onwards.

[UPDATE 12 OCTOBER] Following on from its launch of direct Durban - Lusaka flights in July, South African regional carrier, SA Express (XZ), today announced in the Zimbabwean press that it will start a 3x weekly direct Durban, South Africa - Harare, Zimbabwe service using a Bombardier CRJ-200, effective 3 October 2012. 

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe being "encouraged" to comply with global safety standards by IATA: Goche

Zimbabwean national carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM) has been suspended from IATA for failing to comply with the Association's stringent Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) despite having been given a 90 day grace period. According to Zimbabwean Minister for Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development, Nicholas Goche, the letter the airline received from IATA was "not that bad" and that UM had "been encouraged" to comply with global safety standards.