■ GHANA: Slovenian business aviation specialist, Elit'Avia, sets up shop in Accra.

Slovenia's Elit’Avia, a fully-integrated provider of business aircraft charter, management and operation services, has announced that it has opened an office in Accra, Ghana and is currently managing four business aircraft for West African clients, specifically: two Bombardier Global 6000s and a Bombardier Global XRS in Nigeria, plus a Dassault Falcon 2000 in Ghana. Management of these aircraft is a blend of both exclusive client use and charter availability.

► GHANA: Aero Surveys Ltd appoints Sukhjinder Mann CFO of Starbow Airlines.

The board of directors and management of Aero Surveys Limited,  operators of Ghana's Starbow Airlines (S9), have announced the appointment of Mr Sukhjinder Mann to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Mr Mann arrived at the airline 7 months ago as the Financial Controller and has been the acting CFO for over 3 months.

► COTE D'IVOIRE: Air Cote d'Ivoire rolls out Kinshasa, Ndjamena, Niamey, Pointe Noire from late August.

Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF) will from late August 2013 gradually roll out 4 new regional destinations - Kinshasa, N’Djamena, Niamey and Pointe Noire - boosting its presence in both West and Central Africa.

► GHANA: Report claims pilot error partly to blame for the 2012 Allied Air Cargo 727F crash in Accra.

The chairman of the investigative committee for the June 2, 2012 crash of a Nigerian Allied Air (4W) cargo B727-200F (MSN  22540 | 5N-BJN) at Accra Kotoka International Airport which killed 10 people on the ground, has presented the final report to the Ghanaian Ministry of Transport for consideration. Among the findings by Captain Alec Grant Sam and his committee are that the pilots of the 727 "were partly to blame" for the accident, having touched down too far along runway 21 to allow them to stop safely.

► NIGERIA: Ghana's Africa World Airlines confident of gaining Lagos, Abuja rights despite delays.

Africa World Airlines (AW) has joined the growing list of Ghanaian carriers eager to break into the lucrative Nigerian market but which has thus far encountered various bureaucratic obstacles.

► LIBERIA: AV Cargo Airlines adds Monrovia; boosts Bamako flights.

Effective immediately, AV Cargo Airlines (Z3) has announced an increase in the frequency of flights to Bamako, Mali while at the same time, added Monrovia, Liberia as a new destination on its West African network. Flights will be operated out of the carrier's Liege hub using an MD11F.

■ GHANA: CACC hands over preliminary designs for new Accra International Airport to government.

Ghanaian Minister of Transport, Ms Dzifa Attivor, says preliminary designs for Accra's new international airport have been presented to the Ghana Airports Company Limited. The project will be undertaken by the China Airports Construction Corporation (CACC) and is intended to transform Accra into a regional West African hub.

► GHANA: South African Airways to tentatively boost Accra to daily from August.

According to AirlineRoute, South African Airways (SA) will from 7 August 2013 introduce a 7th weekly frequency on its Johannesburg – Accra route. The added service, which is still subject to government approval, will operate Wednesdays using an Airbus A330-200.

● GHANA: First African Air Expo due to be held in Accra from 9 - 11 October 2014.

A completely new African aviation exhibition, African Air Expo 2014, was launched at this year’s Cannes AirShow when Didier Mary, Managing Director of AirShow organizers, Adone Events signed a protocol agreement to organize the show. Under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Ativor, Adone Events will coordinate the exhibition to be held in Ghana 9 – 11 October, 2014.   The event will take place at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, capital of Ghana, and will welcome exhibitors and delegates from across the Sub-Saharan region.

► GHANA: Virgin Atlantic axes Heathrow - Accra from late September.

AirlineRoute reports that British carrier Virgin Atlantic (VS) is to abandon its five-times weekly service from London Heathrow to Accra, Ghana with effect from September 23. Should the move be confirmed, it would leave Virgin's Africa network at being just Johannesburg, Cape Town and Lagos following its withdrawal from Nairobi, Kenya last year.

► CAMEROON: Camair-Co to replace 767 with a leased 777 Christian Perchat says.

Cameroon's Camair Co (QC) is reportedly in talks with an undisclosed aircraft leasing company regarding the possible addition of a Boeing 777 to its fleet. The jet will be used to replace its current lone 767-300ER used for long haul flights to France.

► NIGERIA: Ghana's Fly540 supposedly granted rights to serve Nigeria; Antrak Air to follow.

Reports out of Ghana claim that Fly540 Ghana (5G) has at last been tentatively granted traffic rights to Nigeria following the intervention of the Ghanaian Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

►► GHANA: Royal Jordanian to start Lagos, Accra from early July..

[UPDATE 21 MAY] Jordanian operator, Royal Jordanian (RJ) is to venture into West Africa beginning late-June 2013 through the introduction of  of a twice weekly Amman - Lagos - Accra set to be operated with an Airbus A330-200.

► TOGO: Ethiopian Cargo to set up West African hub based out of Lomé.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) cargo division, Ethiopian Cargo, is nearing the final stages of setting up a cargo hub in the Togolese capital of Lomé, the carrier has said. Lomé currently acts as a hub for Ethiopian's West African subsidiary, ASKY Airlines (KP), and will shortly play a pivotal role in the airline's plans to launch flights to South America.

►► KENYA: A look at Kenya Airways' updated Summer 2013 Schedule, codeshare plans with Air Burkina.

[UPDATE 2 MAY 2013] AirlineRoute writes that as per the 27MAR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, the latest changes to Kenya Airways’ (KQ) planned Summer 2013 operation, effective 31MAR13, is as follows. Further changes remain possible.

► LIBYA: Afriqiyah eyeing more West African flight resumptions "in due course".

Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah (8U), is set to relaunch flights to West Africa in the coming weeks as the carrier seeks to re-establish its former Sub-Saharan network, suspended following the fall of Muammur Gaddhafi's regime.

► RWANDA: Rwandair outlines new Accra via Lagos and Douala via Brazzaville, Libreville ops.

Rwandan national carrier, RwandAir (WB) has outlined its planned Kigali - Accra and Kigali - Brazzaville - Libreville - Douala services due to launch in June. According to Amadeus, Accra flights will operate 3x weekly via Lagos, Nigeria with Rwandair obtaining 5th Freedom rights between Lagos and Accra. Douala flights will operate 4x weekly.

►► NAMIBIA: Air Namibia to axe Accra, reduces Cape Town, Joburg due to low demand, Frankfurt due to A340s undergoing maintenance.

[UPDATE 7 APRIL] Air Namibia (SW) is, according to Amadeus, to axe its Windhoek - Accra (Ghana) flights effective 10 April. In addition, Windhoek to Cape Town, and Windhoek to Johannesburg flights are to be reduced from 3 to 2 a day, with Windhoek to Frankfurt flights being reduced to 4x a week effective immediately.

● GHANA: Kwame Mamphey elected Chairman of AFCAC at 23rd Plenary session.

The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Air-Commodore Kwame Mamphey has been elected to the Chairmanship of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) during the organ's recently ended 23rd Plenary session held in Accra.

► TURKEY: Turkish Cargo outlines its planned Africa Summer 2013 network.

According to the airline’s latest schedule listing, Turkish Airlines Cargo’s Summer 2013 planned operation as follow. The airline did not specify operational aircraft in its schedule listing.