Tuesday, September 24, 2013

► EGYPT: Tourism downturn hits local carriers as MidWest suspends its AOC.

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It isn't just national carrier, Egyptair (MS), that is bearing the brunt of the downturn in Egypt's tourism downturn , with the cou...

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Denel establishes Spaceteq, a new satellite & space engineering unit within Denel Dynamics.

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South African state owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate, Denel SOC,  has announced the formation of Spaceteq, a new busines...

► SOUTH SUDAN: (Pics) Rwandair begins its 3x weekly Kigali - Juba service.

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Rwanda's national carrier, Rwandair (WB), launched its long awaited flights to the South Sudanese capital, Juba with its maiden flight o...

■ CONGO (KINSHASA): RVA, Welthungerhilfe sign $15mln contract to rehabilitate Goma Airport runway.

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After the successful issuance of a tender in August, German NGO Welthungerhilfe (German for "World Hunger Aid") and the Democrat...

► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Trans Air Congo adds a fourth B737-300 on lease from Star Air.

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The Republic of Congo's Trans Air Congo - TAC (Q8) has bolstered its operations with the addition of yet another South African B737-300...

► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to establish Rabat as second local base; eyes five new routes before year end.

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As part of plans to establish Rabat as its second local base after its main hub in Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc (AT) says it will launch twe...
Monday, September 23, 2013

● OPINION: The Legal Basis of the Court Application against FlySafair by Rob Baker.

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In the interests of stirring more debate and offering a more broadly-based platform for the flow of information, ideas and opinions here on...

■ BURUNDI: Air Burundi to require nearly USD4million to resume operations.

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Air Burundi's (8Y) Group Managing Director, Emmanuel Habimana, says a return to service will prove costly both for the airline and it...

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire to roll out new destinations once a third A319, two Q400s arrive in November.

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Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF) says it will roll out the new part of its regional expansion programme, set to include new services from Abidjan to ...

► ALGERIA: Tassili Airlines delays international expansion 'til 2014 as subsidies for southern flights now an option.

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Algerian domestic and regional carrier, Tassili Airlines (SF), has reaffirmed its plans to launch regional charter flights, albeit only in ...

■ CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Air CEMAC launch now delayed 'til early 2014 as more talks with Air France are due in October.

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In yet another unsurprising development regarding the formation and launch of Central Africa's bloc-based initiative, Air CEMAC, the ai...

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Imperial Logistics accuses SAA Cargo of anti-competitive practices.

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South African logistics and freight specialists, Imperial Logistics, has joined the growing list of South African private firms taking ac...

► KENYA: TUIfly Nordic to begin B787 Mombasa flights from December as Edelweiss pulls out from 2014.

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TUIfly Nordic(6B), the Stockholm-based charter subsidiary of the TUI Travel international leisure travel group, is set to offer a once we...
Thursday, September 19, 2013

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines clarifies its 787 order plans in light of media mixup.

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Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has moved to clarify various misleading international media reports regarding its 787-fleet ambitions. According ...

■ SOUTH AFRICA: mango to boost recruitment of black cadet-pilots as demand dictates.

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South African LCC, mango (JE), and regional operator, South African Express (XZ), have announced that, leveraging an existing SAX Cadet P...

► KENYA: First photos of Kenya Airways' first B777-300ER emerge.

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The first photos of Kenya Airways' (KQ) first B777-300(ER) (MSN ? | 5Y-KFA) have emerged with the airliner now set to undergo paintin...

■ GHANA: Mahama appoints new boards, bosses for Ghana Airports Company, Civil Aviation Authority.

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Ghanaian president, John Mahama, has reconstituted the Boards of both the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Ghana Airports Co...

● NIGERIA: IATA boss calls for greater Public/Private cooperation to enable aviation to better propel African economic growth.

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During a speech in Lagos, Nigeria on September 17 to mark Aviation Day Africa, Tony Tyler, the CEO of the International Air Transport Assoc...

► GHANA: Eagle Atlantic Airlines outlines initial West African launch timetable, network.

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Ghana's Eagle Atlantic Airlines (E2) has outlined its initial West African regional service schedule now set to tentatively launch on O...

■ NIGERIA: AJW Aviation signs PBH contract with Nigeria's Skypower Express Airways.

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AJW Aviation, a British complete aircraft spares support specialist, has been selected by African ai...
Wednesday, September 18, 2013

■ SOMALIA: Favori LLC takes over Aden Adde Int'l as Minister repudiates leaked UN letter as a "hoax".

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Turkish firm, Favori LLC officially assumed control of Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport from Dubai-based SKA Logistics on Saturd...

► SPAIN: Arik Air flight to Heathrow diverts to Mallorca after pregnant passenger suffers severe pains, bleeding.

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Arik Air (W3) flight W3101 from Lagos, Nigeria to London Heathrow, Untied Kingdom, was on Sunday, September 15, forced to divert to Palma M...

► TANZANIA: Auric Air announces new Njombe flights while Flightlink goes double daily to Mtwara.

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Tanzanian operators Auric Air (H8) and Flightlink have announced the launch of two new domestic routes. Auric has started a 4x weekly opera...

► FLEET UPDATE BULLETIN: Overland Airways, Aero, Blue Bird Aviation (Kenya), Swazi Airlink

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The following is a fleet update bulletin for aircraft that are in use, have been in use or will be in use for these listed airlines: Overl...

■ TANZANIA: Everett Aviation secures chopper contract with Norway's Statoil.

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Everett Aviation Tanzania has secured a multi-year helicopter contract with Norwegian petroleum giant, Statoil. Under the deal, Everett w...

► ETHIOPIA: National Airways now eyeing a pair of ERJ135s for its fleet.

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Ethiopian private airline, National Airways (7N) has reportedly abandoned previously announced plans to acquire and operate Fokker 50s and ...

► MOZAMBIQUE: Qatar Airways granted rights to Johannesburg - Maputo from late October.

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Qatar Airways (QR) has tentatively been granted local traffic rights on the Johannesburg - Maputo, Mozambique sectors of its 3x weekly flig...
Tuesday, September 17, 2013

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Comair, SkyWise launch legal bid to block FlySafair's launch.

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Following through with its threats of legal action , Comair Ltd and now startup, SkyWise, have dragged the Air Services Licensing Council ...

■ SOUTH AFRICA: New $41mln Somerset East mini-Aerotropolis to be completed next year.

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The town of Somerset East in the province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa will next year begin operating a new ZAR413million (USD40.9...

► MALAWI: Ulendo Airlink starts scheduled Lilongwe - Blantyre flights.

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Malawi's Ulendo Airlink (7Q) has commenced a 5x weekly air service between the country's two commercial hubs, Blantyre and Lilongwe...

■ GHANA: Mahama axes entire board of Ghana Airports Co. Ltd; new appointees due shortly.

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The entire board of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has been dissolved by the Ghanaian president, John Mahama, just one week a...

► TANZANIA: Proflight Zambia to start Dar es Salaam from late October; plans to boost Lilongwe from November.

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Proflight Zambia (P0) has announced plans to launch a 3x weekly Lusaka to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania service with effect from October 23. Acco...

► BRAZIL: Arik Air now eyes a November launch for São Paulo flights; in talks with Embraer over possible deal for 15 jets.

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Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) says it hopes to launch its vaunted Lagos - São Paulo, Brazil flights in November of this year , though this i...

■ SOMALIA: Ethiopian suspends Hargeisa, Berbera flights over impasse with Somaliland government.

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Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has suspended its services to the Somalian towns of Berbera and Hargeisa owing to sub-standard infrastructure. Fl...
Monday, September 16, 2013

► GABON: Royal Air Maroc, Libreville to resurrect Air Gabon International venture?

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Royal Air Maroc (AT) and the Government of Gabon are reportedly set to proceed with the establishment of a new Gabonese national carrier, A...

► MAYOTTE: Air Austral, CCIM, Ylang Invest move to formally create Ewa Air.

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The Mayotte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Mayotte) along with Air Austral (UU) and the Yland Investment consortium officially signe...

■ HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific eyeing Nigeria, Algeria as part of African expansion plans.

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Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific (CX) has mentioned Africa as being part of its longterm expansion plans with the intention being to exploit ...

► BOTSWANA: Kalahari Airways turns to crowdfunding for 747s to operate London Gatwick flights.

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Kalahari Airways is a Botswana-based startup that intends to offer flights from Cape Town, South Africa to London Gatwick via Gaborone Bo...

■ GHANA: GCAA freezes issuance of domestic operator licences in response to Antrak's, Starbow's threats to pull out.

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Responding to threats by local carriers Antrak Air (O4) and Starbow Airlines (S9) to withdraw from the oversubscribed Ghanaian market, th...

■ CAMEROON: Biya appoints Frederic Mbotto new Camair-Co boss; Edouard Mfoumou new chairman.

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Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, has officially appointed Mr Frédéric Mbotto Obounou the new Managing Director/CEO of the country...

► JAPAN: EgyptAir planning to nix its Osaka flights from late October over Tokyo's travel advisory.

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With the recent suspension of flights to Tokyo Narita, Egyptair (MS) has now announced plans to terminate its twice weekly Cairo - Osaka Ka...
Friday, September 13, 2013

► SAUDI ARABIA: Saudia Cargo to boost Morocco, Kenya, South Africa freight capacity.

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Saudia Cargo (SV) has announced an increase in its belly and freighter capacity on a number of routes across its global network. In terms o...

■ MADAGASCAR: Air Madagascar signs MOU with Vanilla Islands Organization to further enhance regional connectivity.

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Following a recent ministerial summit held on the French island of La Réunion on September 10, Air Madagascar (MD) and the Vanilla Islands ...

► KENYA: Former Transavia exec, Willem Hondius, appointed boss of Kenya Airways' LCC, JamboJet.

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The Board of Kenya Airways (KQ) has appointed Willem Alexander Hondius as Chief Executive Officer of Jambo Jet Limited, the airline’s nasce...

► GHANA: Eagle Atlantic Airlines to launch regional operations from October 15.

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Ghanaian start-up, Eagle Atlantic Airways (EAB), has announced that it will commence operations with effect from October 15 using a McDonne...
Thursday, September 12, 2013

► NIGERIA: (Pic) Business charter specialists, Air Peace, awaiting first B737-500.

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Nigerian business charter specialists, Air Peace, are set to add their first Boeing metal to their fleet of two Dornier Do328-300s with the...

► KENYA: Fly540 increases Nairobi - Lodwar flights to 9x weekly.

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Fly540 Kenya (5H) has announced that it has increased the frequency of flights between Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport...

■ ETHIOPIA: ECAA selects Thales' TopSky - Flight Plan to manage flight plan and aeronautical information interfaces.

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The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) has announced the selection of the Thales TopSky-ATC Flight Data Processing System (FDPS) com...

■ ANGOLA: Uíge Airport to be completed shortly, operations to tentatively resume by year-end.

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Uíge Airport, situated in Uige, the capital city of its namesake province in northwestern Angola, could be inaugurated later this year foll...

■ MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius upgrades its MRO management software.

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Ottawa-based aviation maintenance management software provider, Mxi Technologies, has announced that Air Mauritius (MK) has gone live with ...

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian outlines initial Winter 2013/14 timetable; to start Singapore from mid December.

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Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has outlined its initial changes to its timetable in time for the Northern Winter 2013/14 season.  According to A...
Wednesday, September 11, 2013

■ GHANA: James Antwi appointed new CEO of Starbow Airlines.

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The Board of Directors and Management of Aero Surveys Limited trading under the Commercial name "Starbow (S9)" have announced the...