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

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 Lagos, Kinshasa, N'Djamena, Niamey, Monrovia, Freetown and Bangui, from mid November. The new routes were due to have launched in late August.

► NIGERIA: Ex Camair-Co boss Alex Van Elk to help set up new Nigerian LCC.

A new Low Cost Carrier will commence operations in Nigeria in 2014 with former Camair-Co (QC) CEO, Alex Van Elk, one of the project's coordinators. According to Mr Van Elk, the carrier is a joint partnership between Nigerian and European investors.

► TANZANIA: fastjet A319 grounded following birdstrike.

fastjet (FN) says one of its three Airbus A319s was temporarily grounded in Tanzania following a birdstrike on August 8. The incident resulted in some flights between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza being cancelled.

► MOZAMBIQUE: LAM eyes either B737-700s or A319s as part of fleet renewal's second phase.

MEX - Moçambique Expresso, a subsidiary of Mozambique's national carrier, LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM), says it has completed the first phase of its modernization through the recent acquisition of two Embraer ERJ145 in February and April of this year.

► ERITREA: Eritrean Airlines returns its A319 to Bulgaria's BH Air.

Eritrean Airlines (B8) has returned its only has returned their only Airbus A319-100 (MSN 3139 | LZ-AOA) to Bulgarian operator BH Air - Balkan Holidays Air (8H) from whom they leased the aircraft.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire set to receive third, and first own, A319 shortly.

Air Cote d'Ivoire (HF) is due to take delivery of its third Airbus A319 (MSN 1018 | HB-IPR) to supplement two other Airbus A319s leased from Air France (AF) and an Embraer E170 leased from Regional (YS). 

► GAMBIA: Damaged A319 forces Gambia Bird to temporarily reduce its operations.

Gambia Bird (3G), the 90/10 venture between German carrier, Germania (ST) and the Gambian government, has announced that it will temporarily reduce its flight schedule in the coming weeks owing to damage sustained by one of its Airbus A319s.

► LIBYA: Alitalia adds second daily flight to Tripoli from late March.

Italian carrier, Alitalia (AZ), is to boost service between Rome Fiumicino and Tripoli, Libya through the introduction of a second daily A319 operated service effective 31 March. New flights leave Rome at 1500L and Tripoli at 1755L.

► ZIMBABWE: China Sonangol denies its A320 being used for diamond smuggling.

China Sonangol, the joint venture between the Hong Kong based China International Fund (or the 88 Queensway group) and Angola's state-owned oil company Sonangol, has denied a report by whistle-blower site, 100Reporters, alleging that its Airbus A319 (MSN 2706 | VP-BEX) was being used to "smuggle" diamonds from Zimbabwe's controversial Marange diamond fields.

► ALGERIA: Royal Jordanian to start Amman - Algiers from 25 February.

Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) has announced it will start regular direct services to Algerian capital Algiers, starting February 25. RJ president/chief executive Amer Hadidi said there will be two weekly flights between Amman and Algiers. As of April 1, the airline will add a third flight, in order to meet the demand on travel that is expected to witness a gradual growth in the coming months. 

► SOUTH AFRICA: Air Mauritius to put A340 onto Cape Town route for duration of June.

AirlineRoute reports that Air Mauritius (MK) from 01JUN13 to 25JUN13 is to change its operations on its Mauritius – Cape Town route, with an Airbus A340-300 aircraft replacing the current A319. However, operational frequencies will temporarily reduce from 3x to 2x weekly during this period.

► MOROCCO: TAP Air Portugal boosts capacity to Marrakech, Casablanca from March.

For the upcoming IATA Northern Summer Season (from 31 March), Portugal's TAP (TP) will increase capacity on select Morocco flights with the delpoyment of the Airbus A319 aircraft on its flights to Marrakech and Casablanca.

► NAMIBIA: See Video & Pics of Air Namibia's new A319's Arrival Ceremony in Windhoek.

Namibia's national carrier, Air Namibia (SW), last week Friday 4 January 2013, took delivery of the first of two Airbus A319s (MSN 5400 | V5-ANN) with the aircraft performing a welcoming fly-past over the city of Windhoek, as well as Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport.

► IRELAND: See Pics of FirstNation Airways' first A319 christened "Faith."

The first pictures of Nigerian carrier First Nation Airways (FRN) first Airbus A319-100 (MSN: 647 | 5N-FND) on lease from the International Leasing Finance Corporation (ILFC) have emerged from Ireland.

►► NIGERIA: FirstNation Airways set to lease an A319 from the ILFC.

[UPDATE 28 DECEMBER] According to Skyliner.de, grounded Nigerian carrier, FirstNation Airways (FRN), is to lease an Airbus A319-100 (MSN: 647 | 5N-FND) from the International Leasing Finance Corporation (ILFC). 

► GERMANY: Air Namibia set to take delivery of two A319s.

Namibia's national carrier, Air Namibia (SW), is set to take delivery of two Airbus A319s (MSN 5366 | V5-ANM) and (MSN 5400 | V5-ANN) following a handing over ceremony in Hamburg, Germany last week.

► GAMBIA: Gambia Bird takes delivery of second Airbus A319; prepares to expand network.

Gambia Bird (3G) has announced the delivery of a second Airbus A319 (MSN 4691 | D-ASTB) as the fledgling carrier prepares to expand its network with the launch of flights to Abidjan, Abuja, Bamako, Douala and Ouagadougou.

■ 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.

► ITALY: Tunisair set for Bologna flights from April 2013.

Tunisian national carrier, Tunisair (TU), will from 1 April 2013 relaunch its Tunis – Bologna service, offering thrice weekly flights with Airbus A319/320 aircraft. The carrier last operated this route in July 1989 using a once weekly Boeing 727.

► FRANCE: (Pic) fastjet's first branded A319 rolls out the paintshop.

fastjet's first Airbus A319-100 (MSN: 2176 | 5H-FJA) has finally rolled out of the paintshop in Montpellier, France.