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

South African LCC, mango (JE), and regional operator, South African Express (XZ), have announced that, leveraging an existing SAX Cadet Pilot scheme, the airlines will cooperate to see cadet pilots from disadvantaged or previously disenfranchised backgrounds absorbed into mango’s pilot body as per growth requirements. The initiative forms part of Mango’s greater transformation and social engagement programme.

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

The first photos of Kenya Airways' (KQ) first B777-300(ER) (MSN ? | 5Y-KFA) have emerged with the airliner now set to undergo painting and a B1 test flight ahead of its planned delivery to Nairobi next month. The aircraft, one of two on 12 year-leases with General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), is set to début operations with a Nairobi - Guangzhou flight due on November 19. 5Y-KFA will feature 28 Business Class seats in a 2-3-2 layout and 369 Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 Layout. The second B777-300ER is due in May 2014.

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

Ghanaian president, John Mahama, has reconstituted the Boards of both the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) appointing new board chairmans and members.

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

During a speech in Lagos, Nigeria on September 17 to mark Aviation Day Africa, Tony Tyler, the CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), called on public and private stakeholders to work together to address critical priorities to enable aviation to do more to drive economic growth in Africa.

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

Ghana's Eagle Atlantic Airlines (E2) has outlined its initial West African regional service schedule now set to tentatively launch on October 21, 2013. Flights between Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Dakar and Monrovia (Roberts) will operate on-board the airline's leased McDonnell Douglas MD82.

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

AJW Aviation, a British complete aircraft spares support specialist, has been selected by African airline Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited to provide power-by-the-hour support to its B737-300F, (MSN 24209 | 5N-BMA).

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

Turkish firm, Favori LLC officially assumed control of Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport from Dubai-based SKA Logistics on Saturday September 14. Somali Minister for Information, Abdullahi Herso Elmoge, said the process of handing over control of the facility was completed on the morning of Sunday September 15.

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

Arik Air (W3) flight W3101 from Lagos, Nigeria to London Heathrow, Untied Kingdom, was on Sunday, September 15, forced to divert to Palma Mallorca Airport, Spain, after a pregnant passenger required urgent medical attention while onboard.

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

Tanzanian operators Auric Air (H8) and Flightlink have announced the launch of two new domestic routes. Auric has started a 4x weekly operation from Dar es Salaam to Njombe via Iringa while Flightlink has begun double daily Dar es Salaam to Mtwara, south-eastern Tanzania flights. Both routes became effective September 16.

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

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: Overland Airways, Aero, Blue Bird Aviation (Kenya), Swazi Airlink.

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

Everett Aviation Tanzania has secured a multi-year helicopter contract with Norwegian petroleum giant, Statoil. Under the deal, Everett will lease three new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters from a major operator in Q4 of this year in support of Statoil’s offshore drilling operations in Tanzania and Mozambique in which two choppers will be used for crew change work whilst the third will be a high specification, dedicated search and rescue aircraft.

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

Ethiopian private airline, National Airways (7N) has reportedly abandoned previously announced plans to acquire and operate Fokker 50s and Embraer EMB-170s, and now has its sights set on Embraer ERJ-135s instead. 

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

Qatar Airways (QR) has tentatively been granted local traffic rights on the Johannesburg - Maputo, Mozambique sectors of its 3x weekly flights between Doha, Qatar and the Southern African nations with effect from October 27, 2013.

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

Following through with its threats of legal action, Comair Ltd and now startup, SkyWise, have dragged the Air Services Licensing Council (ASLC) to court in a bid to block the launch of the Safair's nascent low cost subsidiary, FlySafair (FA), due to commence flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg later this year.

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

The town of Somerset East in the province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa will next year begin operating a new ZAR413million (USD40.9million) regional airport aimed at boosting the region's connectivity and economic profile.

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

Malawi's Ulendo Airlink (7Q) has commenced a 5x weekly air service between the country's two commercial hubs, Blantyre and Lilongwe effective September 15. Services were previously operated in 2011 before a moratorium was placed on the route by the Malawian government to protect the now defunct Air Malawi (QM).

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

The entire board of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has been dissolved by the Ghanaian president, John Mahama, just one week after the Minister of Transport, Dzifa Attivor, announced the dismissal of the firm's Managing Director,  Doreen Owusu-Fianko.

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

Proflight Zambia (P0) has announced plans to launch a 3x weekly Lusaka to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania service with effect from October 23. According to the airline, as it stands, only a Day 1 & 5 operation have been set with confirmation from regulators on the timing.of a Wednesday slot still pending. Operations are on-board a Jetstream 41 turboprop. In addition, the carrier is also hoping to boost its Lilongwe flights to 4x weekly effective November 16, subject to regulatory approval. 

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

Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) says it hopes to launch its vaunted Lagos - São Paulo, Brazil flights in November of this year, though this is still dependent on the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil - ANAC) issuing it convenient landing slots at Guarulhos International Airport.

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

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has suspended its services to the Somalian towns of Berbera and Hargeisa owing to sub-standard infrastructure. Flights between Addis Ababa and the capital of Somaliland, Hargeisa, were only recently resumed after significant upgrade works to the airport's infrastructure. However, it has since emerged that the quality of work done to runway 06/24 has allegedly proven substandard resulting in Ethiopian suspending its flights.