■ SOUTH AFRICA: SAA defers presentation of turnaround plan to March as NTM embarks on a strike demanding recognition.

The new board of South African Airways (SA) has deferred the presentation of their planned turnaround strategy to March 2013, after being tasked to come up with proposal by December 2012 as part of prerequisite conditions to its USD600million bail out from the South African government, granted last year in October.

►► DENMARK: Royal Air Maroc resumes Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin from March 2013.

[UPDATE 18 JANUARY] Royal Air Maroc (AT) has continued its expansion into Europe with the announcement of of the resumption of 3x weekly flights from Casablanca to Berlin Tegel, Germany via Copenhagen, Denmark.

► 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.

■ NIGERIA: FAAN adamant on abandoned aircraft issue; gives owners 1 week ultimatum.

The Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued an ultimatum to all owners of decrepit and decaying aircraft lying abandoned at the country's numerous airports and airfields, to have them removed within a week. 

► CHAD: Congolese government provides Chad with Il76 to aide with deployment of 2'000 troops to Mali.

The Congolese government has made ​​available its Ilyushin Il76 (MSN 1033415504 | TN-AFS) transport to the Chadian government following the latter's decision to deploy 2000 troops to join the growing international operation (Mission Internationale de soutien au Mali - MISMA) against Islamist insurgents in northern Mali.

■ KENYA: New Civil Aviation Law provides KCAA with framework necessary to attain FAA Cat 1 status; US flights to follow?

The signing into law of The Civil Aviation 2013 Bill by Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki on Monday 14 January has presented the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) with the legal framework necessary to ensure safer, more secure airports and airspace. Conformity to internationally recognised standards could then lead to the possibility of long sought-after Kenya - US flights.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian said to have grounded its 787 fleet following FAA directive.

Despite recently trumpeting its contentment at "the performance of their Dreamliners", labelling them "highly capable and safe aircraft", Ethiopian Airlines (ET), too, appears to have joined the growing list of Dreamliner operators to have grounded the type following recent problems with the aircraft's Lithium Ion battery.

► SOUTH AFRICA: Cathay Pacific reduces 747-400 ops to Joburg from January 2014.

As per the 17 January 2013 GDS inventory display, the latest changes to Cathay Pacific’s Winter 2013/14 long-haul operation reflect its on-going retirement of the Boeing 747-400 from the Hong Kong based carrier's fleet. From January 2014, the oneWorld member will further reduce planned Boeing 747-400 long-haul services. 

► TANZANIA: fastjet to launch Johannesburg, Moroni and Entebbe in coming weeks?

Tanzania-based LCC fastjet (FN) could announce new regional routes in the coming weeks spurred on by strong first month performance figures on its domestic Tanzanian routes, launched in late November 2012.

► EGYPT: Air Force signs deal with Airbus Military for 6 Casa C295s.

Airbus Military has received an order for six additional Casa C295 transport aircraft from the Egyptian Air Force, bringing the Egyptian Air Force’s C295 fleet to a total of 12 aircraft. This third batch of aircraft plus the associated spares and support equipment, training and field support are to be delivered from the end of 2013 onwards.

► MOROCCO: Ryanair officially announces Fez, Marrakech as new bases; Essaouira, Rabat as new airports.

Confirming our previous speculative post, Ryanair (FR) has officially announced it would open two new bases in Morocco in 2013, at Fez (No 56) and Marrakech (No 57) with a total of three based-aircraft, as Ryanair invests over USD210 million in Morocco. 

► MOROCCO: Air Méditerranée to start 2x weekly Paris CDG - Casablanca ops from mid February.

Air Méditerranée (ML), the Jullian, France based carrier is to launch its third destination in Morocco - Casablanca, with 2x weekly flights starting 14 February 2013.

► COMOROS: Government now looking to resurrect Air Comores?

After the successful launch of inter-island services last week using a Let 410 (MSN 072640 | D6-NHD), the Comorian Government is now considering resurrecting defunct national carrier Air Comores.

■ SOUTH AFRICA: No last minute reprieve for 523 Denel AMG employees as SAAF confirms contract will not be renewed.

Denel Aviation is to proceed with the laying off of 523 employees (538 according to Denel) from its MRO division, Aero Manpower Group, and Denel Personnel Solutions, come 31 March after the South African Air Force (SAAF) confirmed during the first retrenchment consultation that it would not be renewing its contract.

■ ANGOLA: TAAG's operating revenue up $120m in 2012 but lack of fiscal control remains a grave worry.

TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola (DT), Angola's national carrier, registered a growth in passenger traffic of 11% for the year ending 2012, with 1.1million passengers flown, the airline said in a statement.  

■ KENYA: Israel keen to resume Tel Aviv - Nairobi flights following improvements in Kenyan airport security.

Following improvements in security measures in place at the country's airports, Israel is considering the resumption of direct flights to Kenya before the end of the year says the country's Ambassador to Kenya, Gil Haskel. 

► PORTUGAL: TACV in talks to start Ilha do Sal - Beja.

TACV Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (VR), the scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Praia, Cape Verde is in negotiations to launch flights between Sal Island and Beja, a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo Region, southern Portugal.

► TUNISIA: Details of Syphax's deal with Airbus and Safran revealed.

Details of the contracts signed today between Tunisian carrier Syphax Airlines (FS) and Airbus and Safran S.A. respectively, have been released.

► NIGERIA: AeroContractors to start Abuja - Sokoto from late January.

Nigerian aviation blog, Aviation in Nigeria, reports that Aero Contractors (AJ) also known as Aero, is to launch 6x weekly flights between Abuja and Sokoto, north western Nigeria, effective 28 January 2013.

► MOROCCO: LCC market heats up with Ryanair, Jetairfly launching new bases, routes.

The Low Cost Carrier aviation scene in Morocco is set to heat up with news that Ryanair (FR) is to open two new bases in Morocco, Marrakech and Fez, its first outside Europe. In addition, Jetairfly Morocco (TB) is to launch various new flights to its growing Moroccan network which now counts 10 cities.