■ SENEGAL: Project to twin Casablanca and Dakar as regional cargo hubs progresses.

A project aimed at streamlining trade relations and partnerships between Morocco and Senegal could soon become a reality. A project, initiated by the Moroccan Airports Authority (Office National Des Aéroports (ONDA)) that could see Dakar Senegal becoming a possible cargo feeder hub to Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport, is at last, moving forward, with an outline of the project now on the table.

■ MALAWI: Strike by DCA workers at Lilongwe's Kamuzu Int'l Airport causes serious delays, disruptions.

Ground-handling staff at Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) have, since Monday, abandoned their night shifts at the airport, amidst other industrial action, in protest at unpaid overtime allowances that they claim "date back years."

► ITALY: Egyptair increases Rome frequency from Spring 2013.

Egyptair (MS) will from 31 March 2013, increase frequencies on its Cairo – Rome Fiumicino route, with overall service to rise from 11x to 14x weekly. The service increase comes with the afternoon departure.

■ ETHIOPIA: See Pics of the new Passenger Terminal at Jigjiga Airport inaugurated in late November.

After more than three and a half years under construction and costing USD3.76million (ETB68.4million), the new passenger terminal at Jigjiga's "Garad Wilwal" Airport, Somali Regional National State, was finally inaugurated on 24 November 2012 by SRNS President, Abdi Omer Mohammed. The airport falls under the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise's jurisdiction.

► MOZAMBIQUE: BA Comair to start Johannesburg ORTIA - Maputo flights from May 2013.

Comair Ltd has confirmed that its British Airways franchise will start daily return flights with a double daily service on Tuesdays and Saturdays between Johannesburg ORTIA and Maputo, Mozambique from 4 May 2013 using a Boeing 737-400. Bookings are now open.

► RWANDA: RwandAir announces modifications to its NW 2012/2013 schedule.

Rwandair (WB) has implemented various modifications to its operations following the launch of its 2012/13 Northern Winter season schedule on 28 October 2012. 

■ SOUTH AFRICA: Wreckage of missing SAAF C47 found in the Drakensburg; 11 dead.

The wreckage of a South African National Defence Force C47TP Dakota (the military version of a DC3) belonging to 35Squadron, that went missing in heavy weather on Wednesday near Nelson Mandela’s home town of Qunu, en route from Pretoria's Waterkloof Air Force Base to Mthatha, Eastern Cape, has been found in the Drakensburg Mountain range near Ladysmith, with no survivors aboard.

■ NIGERIA: Dana Air, Skyjet Aviation awarded AOCs by Civil Aviation Authority.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Wednesday, issued new Air Operator's Certificates (AOC) to Dana Air (9J) and Kaduna-based Skyjet Aviation. 

 

■ BELGIUM: EU removes Mauritania from Ban List; adds all Eritrean registered carriers. Libya voluntarily retains restrictions on Libyan registered carriers.

The European Commission has announced the 20th Revised Update to its Banned Operators Air List which has seen some "promotions" and "demotions" for African airlines as a whole. All operators from Mauritania have been removed from the Ban List. Air Madagascar (MD) is still only allowed to operate into the EU albeit under strict conditions (as per the previous No Fly List). All Rwandan carriers have been removed from the list. Libya has agreed to maintain the voluntary restrictions applicable to all air carriers licensed in Libya whilst an operating ban on all air carriers certified in Eritrea has been imposed.

 

► KENYA: Freedom Airline Express set to receive second Embraer 120ER Brasilia.

Kenyan air charter and scheduled ops company, Freedom Airline Express Ltd, is set to receive a second Embraer 120ER Brasilia (MSN 247 | 5Y- ?) as it seeks to expand its operations.

► GUINEA: Eagle Air to get a second Let 410.

Eagle Air (EGR), the Guinean charter flight specialist, is set to receive its second Let 410 (MSN  871816 | 3X-GHP) according to German site Skyliner.de

■ NIGERIA: Dana Air claims lack of correct paperwork submissions as cause for delayed payments to flight 9J-997's victims' families.

Grounded Nigerian carrier Dana Air (9J) has issued a response to recent reports in the Nigerian press claiming that Dana Air and its insurers had refused to pay statutory compensation to the families of victims of the Dana Air 9J-997 tragedy in Lagos in June.

■ ALGERIA: Swissport awarded ground-handling contract for Oran airport.

Swissport Algeria, a division of Swissport International, a global provider of airport ground services, has been awarded a 5-year ground handling licence for Oran International Airport (Ahmed Ben Bella), Algeria by the Etablissement de Gestion des Services Aéroportuaires d’Oran (EGSA Oran) Tender Commission.

 

► NIGERIA: Egyptair boosts capacity to Abuja over December/January period.

Egyptian national carrier, Egyptair (MS) will, over December 2012 and January 2013, increase its capacity on its Cairo – Abuja, Nigeria route with an Airbus A330-200 operating for selected periods instead of the usual Boeing 737-800 aircraft. 

■ KENYA: Reinstated workers reject Kenya Airways' "compulsory leave" directive; threaten to sue Naikuni and airline if not properly reinstated.

The 455 reinstated Kenya Airways (KQ) staff, whose claims of unfair dismissal were yesterday vindicated by an industrial court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, today rejected a directive by the Kenyan carrier to send them all on compulsory paid leave until further notice.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: fastjet officially in talks to acquire 1Time Airline.

Following recent speculation in the South African press, fastjet (FN) has announced that it is indeed currently in negotiations with the management, directors and provisional liquidator of 1Time (T6), the South African LCC that ceased trading last month.  The negotiations, which have not yet concluded, and are subject to Board, parent company, and Regulatory approval, would allow fastjet to purchase 1time Airline from its parent company, 1time Holdings. 

► DUBAI: Emirates eyes fastjet as potential feeder airline in Africa.

Emirates (EK) has confirmed its interest in partnering recently launched Tanzanian based LCC, fastjet (FN) having previously allured to a possible deal in the past, albeit only in broad terms.

Spurred on by Africa’s rapid economic growth amid increased trade with Asian economies, the Middle Eastern carrier is looking to connect the bulk of the continent’s travellers to the rest of the world through its Dubai hub with budget airlines set to "feed" it with cargo and passengers via major cities like Nairobi, Dakar and Luanda.

► CHINA: Ethiopian Airlines reduces China ops over Chinese New Year 2013.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) will, during the month of February 2013, reduce its operations to Beijing and Guangzhou during the Chinese New Year period. 

 

► 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.

■ KENYA: Court orders Kenya Airways to reinstate 455 axed employees effective immediately.

An industrial court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has ordered Kenya Airways (KQ) to reinstate some 450 employees, effective immediately, who were laid off in August/September as part of spending-cuts at the carrier.